Spurs have crystal clear blueprint to unlocking their dream lineup

The San Antonio Spurs failed to land star Kevin Durant, losing out to their in-state rivals, the Houston Rockets. While disappointing, it wouldn't impact the development of one of the Spurs most intriguing prospects, Jeremy Sochan.

Sohan is already a fan favorite in San Antonio given his outspokenness, flamboyant hairstyles, and physical play. However, his development has been hindered by his lack of improvement as a shooter.

His unsightly jumper often has a pronounced hitch to it; imagine Shaq shooting free throws, and it's about as smooth as that coming off Sochan's fingertips. This is despite years of tweaking.

Fortunately, that hard work has begun to pay off. He looks to have made significant improvement on his jump shot this summer.

Jeremy Sochan could make Spurs fans forget about Kevin Durant

With the Spurs struggling to space the floor around star Victor Wembanyama, they were forced to start Harrison Barnes at power forward next to him. That meant Sochan was demoted to the bench, and his lack of spacing forced him to play center even though his ideal position is at power forward.

However, recent videos showing him with a dramatically improved jump shot have increased hope that he can break out during his fourth season in 2025-26. Last season, Sochan would often pass up open 3-point shots, partly due to the amount of time it took to get his shot off.

He would often catch the ball, bring it down toward his waist, bring it up to his chest, and then release, all in one unfluid motion. Now, it looks like he's catching the ball higher and releasing it quicker with one fluid motion. His shot motion also looks far more consistent, with bad shooters' attempts often varying widely from shot to shot.

If Sochan's shot mechanics are indeed more compact and consistent, then there's hope that he can develop into a good shooter after all. If he can, then it's hard to understate how big of a deal that is for the Spurs.

An improved Jeremy Sochan would unlock the Spurs' dream lineup

A potential starting five of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell (who's likely a placeholder for Dylan Harper), Sochan, and Wembanyama would have a unique combination of size, speed, and athleticism. Wembanyama is, of course, a dominant rim protector, and Castle is already a good defender.

Meanwhile, Fox is passable due to his height and speed, Vassell is talented defensively if wildly inconsistent, and Sochan is a Swiss Army knife. Sochan is already one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and one of the most versatile ones as well. He is often tasked with guarding point guards even though he is 6-9 but can defend one through four and smaller fives.

For instance, he could guard newly crowned NBA champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA), while Castle guards Jalen Williams, and Fox covers Lu Dort. Having a forward guard SGA would make it harder for him to get free using screens, while Wembanyama would be a deterrent at the rim.

Offensively, if Sochan can become even a passable high-volume 3-point shooter, then it would keep teams from leaving him open. He also dramatically improved as a finisher last season, with him being a force on the offensive glass.

Alternating between shooting open threes and scoring off cuts and offensive rebounds could make him a passable offensive player. That, combined with his defense, would make him a wildly useful player to a team that has championship aspirations. It begins with Sochan improving his 3-point shot.