The New York Knicks just signed Jeremy Sochan after he was released by the San Antonio Spurs. And although it didn’t work out for him in Texas, The Big Apple could have an ideal situation in store for the forward. Because the Knicks have a chance to make a realization the Spurs failed to: Sochan should work as a small-ball center.
Sochan isn’t a three-point shooter. That experiment should be put to rest. But he’s a solid defender, he can handle the ball, and he’s an underrated passer. Add all those things together, and using him as a pseudo-Draymond Green or Ben Simmons type big man could work well for some Knicks lineups.
He could work in New York in a way he never could in San Antonio.
Knicks can unlock Jeremy Sochan at the five
In his first two years in the league, the Spurs were committed to using Sochan as a power forward. That was until they decided to run him more as a small forward/point forward in his sophomore year.
It wasn’t until his third season in the NBA that San Antonio decided to use him more at the five, primarily behind Victor Wembanyama, who was just coming into his own at that point.
For the last two seasons, Sochan has spent around 41% of his minutes playing the center position, but obviously, based on the fact that the Spurs waived him, things didn’t work out.
Now, he’ll have a new chance at life in New York, and based on the guys they have played with in their lineups, he could actually fit in well as a small-ball five.
The Knicks are used to playing with some guys who can’t shoot the ball. Mitchell Robinson gets regular minutes. Teams leave Josh Hart open all the time, and even though he has shot the ball well this year, he thrives as a cutter, punishing teams for leaving him open.
Having Sochan step in as a backup center behind Karl-Anthony Towns (and probably behind Robinson and even Ariel Hukporti) would give the Knicks a different look.
His versatility as a defender and passing skills would be elevated by the scoring of Jalen Brunson, the defense of Jose Alvarado, and the overall versatility of New York’s wing group.
The Knicks seem like an ideal team to help Sochan more fully explore what he can do at the five. And if it works out, they will have accomplished something the Spurs never could.