Spurs’ Jeremy Sochan opens up on his struggles to shift to point guard

Re-iterating he was committed to making the position change work, Sochan after practice Saturday acknowledged the move to point guard the shift has taken on him

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There have been times during Jeremy Sochan’s second NBA season in which he wishes he could go back in time.

He doesn’t want to be a rookie again. He just wants to be a power forward.

That experiment as a Spurs point guard?

"There have been moments where it’s like, ‘Yo I don’t want to,’ " Sochan said Saturday. “It’s like (expletive) this (expletive).”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has called the move of the 20-year-old Sochan from power forward to point guard the team’s “official experiment of 2023-24.”

Occasionally, that experiment has produced positive results. Occasionally, it has blown up in everyone’s face.

This is to be expected.

“It is the first time I have ever played point guard in my life,” Sochan said.

Re-iterating he was committed to trying to make the position change work, Sochan after practice Saturday acknowledged the toll it has taken on him.

“I am going to be honest,” Sochan said, “there have been moments where there isn’t confidence.”

On the flip side, Sochan said, “There have been moments of being confident.”

The 6-foot-8 Sochan experienced both sides of the spectrum in Friday’s 117-110 loss to Minnesota. He committed a season-high six turnovers, including four in the first half.

He also contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, all while being asked to guard Timberwolves’ All-Star Anthony Edwards.

As the Spurs attempted to come back from 18 points down, Sochan swished a key 3-pointer and found an open Tre Jones on a skip pass for another big bucket.

In nine games as the Spurs’ starting point guard, Sochan is averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He has been one of the club’s best defenders, and is tied with Victor Wembanyama for the team’s lead in steals at 1.1 per game.

“I am making a transition like this in the NBA, which is rare,” Sochan said. “You don’t see a lot of people going from power forward to point guard.”

Popovich and the Spurs’ staff have been unwavering in their commitment to Sochan to start the season. He says he has also gotten support from Jones, last year’s starter who is now coming off the bench.

“It means a lot,” Sochan said. “If you didn’t have that side, it would be a lot harder. It feels good that everyone in this building believes in it, and they know that it is not always going to be perfect, but they are there for it.”