Amid struggles from the free-throw line, San Antonio Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan debuted a new shooting form on Monday in a win over the Houston Rockets.
Sochan entered the contest shooting just 45.8% from the line (11-of-24) through his first 23 games of the season. The cold start from the charity stripe prompted Sochan to overhaul his shot and unveil a new, one-handed shooting motion.
The ninth pick attempted four free throws in the 124-105 win and shot each one-handed. He converted one of his two attempts in the first quarter and missed two shots later in the third quarter to finish 1-of-4 overall from the line.
He finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block.
Jeremy Sochan started shooting free throws one-handed 😅 pic.twitter.com/RteImkcYQq
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 20, 2022
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said afterward that he approved of the shot change. He was even spotted with Sochan prior to the game working on his form to ensure the ball was placed properly on his right hand when going up with it.
The change was met with some criticism on social media since it is a rather unique form. Those within the team, though, have encouraged Sochan to continue to stay aggressive and get to the free-throw line and earn those attempts.
Doug McDermott believes Sochan will continue to stay aggressive.
You can’t be afraid to go to the line. You just gotta keep being aggressive and try to get fouled. Once you see a few go through, I think the floodgates open. Your whole game opens up, especially (for) a young guy like that. I think he is going to continue to do that. We have a lot of faith in him. (Spurs assistant coach) Brett (Brown) is working with him a lot and he is looking great out there.
The art of shooting free throws can vary from player to player. Those that have struggled with it have often worked extensively on their forms in order to improve. Some of the best players in the league have had various issues at the line and have taken the necessary steps to improve.
Players may often wait until the offseason to unveil new shooting forms, but Sochan opted to switch things up early in the year. The early change should help him get acclimated to his new form and begin to knock down more shots.
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