Why San Antonio Spurs' Keldon Johnson is 'Proud' of Jeremy Sochan
The San Antonio Spurs have made the choice to experiment with Jeremy Sochan at point guard. The 6-9 sophomore played forward last season and in his lone year at Baylor, but he has started every game so far at the lead guard spot.
The adjustment has been difficult. On one hand, Sochan has shown visible frustration but seems up for the challenge. Naturally, there have been some growing pains, and a vocal minority of Spurs fans have called for the franchise to trade for a point guard to help propel Victor Wembanyama’s development.
Jeremy Sochan is shooting 42 percent from deep this season, up from 25 percent last year.
© Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Despite a lack of wins so far this season, Sochan’s teammates are yet to be frustrated with how the season is going. At shootaround on Friday, Keldon Johnson propped up his guard.
“If you know Jeremy you know he’s a confident person, it’s not like we need to reassure him,” Johnson said. “But we definitely have our fresh-air conversations, just telling him my opinion, his opinion, we bounce it off each other, we include [Devin Vassell], [Zach Collins], [Victor Wembanyama], it’s kind of like a team thing.”
While there have undoubtedly been conversations, both positive and negative about how the point guard situation has gone so far this season, Johnson didn’t waver in his support.
“We’re all behind him 100 percent. I do feel like Jeremy is more than capable of being the point guard, he is our point guard right now and for the foreseeable future in my opinion. He’s getting better and better each game, and you can see the confidence brewing and growing inside of him. I’m proud of him.”
Last season, with Devin Vassell battling injuries, Johnson found himself at the center of the Spurs’ offense. When asked if he could make the transition to point guard, Johnson brushed off the question: “I feel like Jeremy is the guy for the job. I feel that wholeheartedly.”
It’s refreshing to see the Spurs buying into the fact that there is still some time before they are contenders in the West and that there isn’t a rush on success quite yet.
