As soon as they selected him with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, it was clear that Victor Wembanyama would be the star of the show for this season San Antonio Spurs season. And so far, that’s been the case, as the rookie has been impressive both on and off the court.
But just because Wembanyama has been the best player and main attraction for the Spurs doesn’t mean they don’t have other reliable youngsters on the team. One guy who has stood out has been Jeremy Sochan. While the team’s experiment with him at point guard early in the season failed, he’s been solid ever since.
However, Sochan was left off the NBA’s Rising Stars roster, which was recently announced ahead of the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich furiously defended his player when he was asked about the news. (H/t Jedd Pagaduan of Clutch Points)
“I don’t know who chooses these things or what the criteria are, anything like that, but he’s been great for us,” Popovich said via Nate Ryan of KENS 5. “He’s been a two-way player, which [is] very few and far between in this league. He’s played well [on] the defensive end [and] the offensive end. He’s really grown. Nobody would’ve believed he’d shoot the three the way he’s shooting it right now. So I think he should be there.”
#Spurs F Jeremy Sochan was not selected to the NBA Rising Stars game, despite averaging more minutes per game than four of the sophomores that were picked.
Moments ago, here was Gregg Popovich's reaction to Sochan's omission from All-Star Weekend: pic.twitter.com/dXPlXdujX7
— Nate Ryan (@nateryansports) January 31, 2024
Sochan just had an impressive game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night. He put up 18 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks while shooting 8-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-3 from deep.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]