Green-haired Jeremy Sochan is back to form at the best possible time for Spurs

SAN ANTONIO – Jeremy Sochan saw it.

For once, during a timeout when the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA Cup make-up game, the attention wasn’t on him.

Normally, Sochan, with his colorful hair and exuberant attitude, hogs the spotlight himself on the court, sitting on the team’s staff as the Frost Bank Center conducts its usual “Fan of the Game” promotion. This time it was a young man with a green, curly Afro who took home the prize.

“I’ve seen it a few times,” Sochan laughed. “This is love. I appreciate the audience and how much love they give us.”

While both the fan and Sochan sported similar hairstyles that night, only one had the honor of provoking the Timberwolves on the Spurs’ City Edition Court; the same one that had done so in the game before that in Portland, Oregon, and a game before that against the New Orleans Pelicans.

No, he didn’t do it on purpose – although he did admit to having a shark-like ability to sniff out “blood in water” – but that didn’t mean it wasn’t easy.

Sochan was just himself.

“I don’t do this on purpose,” he explained. “I’m not trying to be a commercial. I’m just me… I’m going to be myself every game.”

From the outside, it almost seems like a threat that Sochan is himself. Enough that Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who was once a two-time NBA All-Defensive selection, included it in the scouting report.

Sure, his stats speak for themselves. Sochan is averaging career highs in points per game, rebounds per game and shooting percentage from the field. He’s been healthy in games, making his mark as a centre-back and finding ways to complement 20-year-old star Victor Wembanyama’s style of play in a way that no other Spur apart from Chris Paul seemed to be able to do.

“He’s a big part of our engine,” Wembanyama said. “I enjoy playing with him. He knows where he needs to be to catch the ball and get open.”

But preparation is possible for these things. A defense can watch the boards and force the green-haired striker to vent from further away. It can also force him into a favorable matchup.

What can’t it do? Control how players react when they face him.

“He’s an agitator,” Billups told Sochan’s Peanut Gallery, “and he’s really good at it.”

READ MORE: With freshly colored hair, Sochan is ready to thrive in a “natural” position

By the way, Sochan did enough that Friday night to give Portland’s seven-year veteran Anfernee Simons a promotion. The next game, it was Jaden McDaniels who took the bait.

His fisticuffs – the former of which led to a magnificent comeback win for the Spurs – may not have been included in the final score sheet handed out to reporters at each game.

But that wasn’t necessary.

“Sometimes screw the stat sheet,” Sochan said. “In the end it doesn’t matter. Whether we win is what matters.”

On this basis, the 21-year-old is 1-2. But he’s definitely found more success as an individual player throughout the season, which in turn has strengthened San Antonio’s dual-threat system.

“He plays with tremendous energy,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He did that consistently as long as he was healthy.”

A season ago, Sochan wasn’t as bubbly with a microphone in his hand.

His expletive-filled interviews never changed, but they weren’t as joyful as they are now that he’s no longer trying to be “Chris Paul” – a comparison Gregg Popovich once thought was false.

The result was an increase in production beyond his provocative antics. Combine that with the natural progression of Victor Wembanyama and Spurs are in a better position compared to last year. Happier too.

“The first 26 games last year were lessons,” Sochan said. “It wasn’t always perfect, but at the end of the day I looked at it and learned from it.”

The lessons kept coming as Sochan was forced to miss a month of the season with a broken thumb just seven games into his much-improved season; when his rehab process took longer than he would have liked.

“I laughed with my coaches,” said the striker a week before his return. “I said it’s kind of like a little second preseason. It’s annoying, but it gets the job done.”

READ MORE: Jeremy Sochan is ahead of schedule in the start-up process

Sochan eventually found his way back into Mitch Johnson’s rotation and picked up right where he left off. In that span, San Antonio is 2-4, although whatever plans it had were upended after a number of other pieces, including Zach Collins, Tre Jones and Keldon Johnson, all missed significant time.

The initial adjustment hung over his head as he started from the bench before being promoted back into the starting XI, but although Sochan has done enough to secure a “semi-permanent” place in the top five, there could be one more It will take a while for the Spurs to feel completely healthy.

“Any time you come back from injury there will be an adjustment,” Sochan said. “You can do whatever you want – sprinting, treadmill, running – but the form of the game is completely different.”

Fortunately, Sochan seems to be ahead again.

“It’s good,” Sochan said. “It clicks.”

As the Spurs prepare to host the Atlanta Hawks and bring their long layoffs of recent weeks to an end, they will continue to rely on Sochan’s energy and production, especially with a .500 record to defend.

What if he gets into a few fights? More power to him. That’s how he wants to be.

But two things are clear: the striker is back in form at just the right time, and his green hair, which he hasn’t styled since he first wore it, isn’t going away.

Not while Christmas is just around the corner.

“It’s really out there,” Sochan said, stroking his own curls. “You can see it…Grinch-like vibes.”

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