There hasn’t been much excitement in San Antonio for Spurs fans this season, but rookie forward Jeremy Sochan is doing his part to change that. He’s got a somewhat eccentric style to San Antonio not seen since the days of Dennis Rodman. Sochan’s dyed hair, tattoos, and No. 10 jersey are a throwback to the 1990s when Rodman rocked that number for the Spurs before the franchise’s championship days.
During Monday night’s win over Lone Star state rival Houston, Sochan borrowed something from another power forward from the 90s in shooting his free throws with one hand. Anthony Mason, most known for his time with the New York Knicks, infamously shot free throws with one hand. He isn’t the only player to ever do this, but Mason did it enough to make it memorable. As funny as the shot looked, it worked because Mason shot over 70 percent from the charity stripe in his career.
This change in approach at the line could be good for Sochan since his free throw percentage is under 43 percent through the first 24 games of his career. Trying a new shot form might not be the worst idea. Or maybe he’ll continue to mix it up and shoot one-handed sometimes and, other times, go back to his regular shooting form.
But if these Rodman comparisons are going to stretch further than just the “look,” Sochan will need to improve in a few categories. Most importantly, he’ll need to become a much more effective rebounder if he’s genuinely going to draw comparisons to “The Worm.” In his two seasons playing for San Antonio, Rodman averaged 17 rebounds per game, even while going through drama with the team. Sochan is barely averaging four rebounds per game in 24 minutes on the floor. If Sochan was allowed to play the entire game, he’d only be halfway to grabbing as many boards as Rodman.
Sochan is averaging 7.5 ppg thus far, and that’s all most people care about now, anyway. But there is still room for great rebounders, and any player who can carve out a niche other than just scoring can hang around the NBA for a long time. At 6-foot-9 230 pounds. Sochan should be able to grab at least six to seven rebounds a game. The paint isn’t as clogged with big bodies as in the 80s and 90s, so a guy like Sochan could make a killing as a top rebounder and defender. Rodman did that, and he’s a Hall of Famer because of it.
