SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan will be entering his fourth NBA season, but former NBA big man Marcin Gortat has some constructive criticism for him.
Speaking with the Polish podcaster Pete Wesołowicz (via Mateusz Babiarz), Gortat took some time to reflect on his fellow countryman and where he needs to improve ahead of the 2025-26 Spurs season, beginning with his perimeter shooting.
“First and foremost, he still has to develop his shot, which is not good enough. He needs to work on his shooting, both around the rim and from outside,” he said.
Gortat’s assessment of Sochan’s shot is nothing new.
Since entering the NBA, the Spurs forward has not been a consistent shooter, with his best season coming in 2024-25, when he shot 53%. However, the good news is that he has shown improvement during his time in San Antonio, increasing from 43% in 2022-23 to 53% currently.
As for his three-point shooting, he’s not incredibly accurate, with a 31% accuracy rate in his last two seasons.
What Gortat suggests for Sochan is to be impactful across the stat sheet and understand that he is not a Spurs “go-to” player.
“He needs to stand out in many categories, not just one. We all know that one niche isn’t going to make you a very valuable player in the NBA right now. He simply needs to be a better basketball player overall.”
Said Gortat: “He plays some minutes at the five (center), he comes off the bench. Sometimes he’s more of a forward; on the other hand, he plays a lot in the pick and roll; he’s really good at it. There are no set plays for him because he’s not a “go-to guy” for the Spurs.”
With the additions of Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, rookie Dylan Harper, and franchise player Victor Wembanyama, Sochan’s role could be impacted, potentially shrinking. It also doesn’t help Sochan that he’s been plagued by injuries (54 games played last season), which keep him off the court and bounce him between the starting unit and the bench.
Gortat sees that as a sour mix for Sochan and how it might be hurting his rhythm by giving him a larger role on the team.
“His role for the Spurs has diminished lately. Because of that, his role is still not set. I understand how hard it is to be starting for a few games, then come off the bench, then you miss a few games because of injuries and he lacks rhythm because of that.”
In fairness, Sochan has seen his role go from one extreme to another. From starting, adjusting to a reserve role and new players, playing out of position (center), to the failed point guard experiment, there’s been much for him to handle early in his pro career.
“He simply needs to be a better basketball player overall,” Gortat said.
Entering year four for Sochan could put him under a larger microscope.
Will he accept a permanent reserve role? Can he prove his perimeter shot has improved? Will the cloud of a contract extension push him to play well?
Ultimately, he does a lot for the team in every way. Last season, he shot a career-high 59% from the two-point range, 57% effective shooting, and 71% at the rim. He also posted 11.4 points per game and a career-high 2.4 offensive rebounds in 2024-25 as well as constantly moving for offensive and defensive opportunities.
“Year three was a hard time for him, but on a positive note, he has a fourth year coming to work on that and prove himself,” said Gortat.