Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Shows Appreciation for Jeremy Sochan

"We wanted to put players he can trust to give 100% on the court," San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said. "I appreciate also that he put Jeremy (Sochan) in the starting lineup."

Jeremy Brener | Jan 16, 2024

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama Shows Appreciation for Jeremy Sochan /

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are Victor Wembanyama's team for the foreseeable future, but he's going to need some sidekicks as an attempt to build a contender around him is formed.

The likeliest player currently on the roster to be on the next great Spurs team apart from Wembanyama is Jeremy Sochan, the No. 9 overall pick from last year's draft. And it's clear that the pair are building chemistry early on in their first season together.

victor wembanyama jeremy sochan — © Daniel Dunn, USA TODAY

"We probably had the worst first half so far and he (Popovich) wanted to change the lineup in the second half," Wembanyama said after Monday's loss against the Atlanta Hawks. "We wanted to put players he can trust to give 100% on the court. I appreciate also that he put Jeremy (Sochan) in the starting lineup."

Statistically, Sochan had one of his better games of the season against the Hawks, scoring 23 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the floor.

Sochan's role on the team is a bit uncertain, but it's clear that the talent is there. After the "Point Sochan" experiment conjured poor results, he's appeared to gravitate back to his natural forward position as Tre Jones takes the reins at point guard.

Popovich Issues Warning to Starters After Loss vs. Hawks

There will obviously need to be a lot of changes to the Spurs as they go through their rebuild, but seeing how close Sochan and Wembanyama are becoming bodes well for his chances to be on the team for the long run.

Sochan, Wembanyama and the Spurs are back in action tomorrow on the road against the Boston Celtics. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

Published Jan 16, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.