Is Victor Wembanyama being held back by Jeremy Sochan at PG? Looking at the numbers
Victor Wembanyama is being groomed as the San Antonio Spurs' next star. He has already been given the task of leading them to the playoffs in his rookie season, just as their previous No. 1 picks, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, did.
However, after a promising start to the season, the Spurs have lost their last 11 games and are now at the bottom of the Western Conference standings at 3-13.
One fan, a certain 'Plastic-Dot-9278' on Reddit, claimed it has something to do with how Victor Wembanyama blends with Jeremy Sochan. They believe the Spurs are more effective when Sochan is on the bench and provided the stats to prove it.
When both players are in the game, the Spurs have an offensive rating of 100.6 and a defensive rating of 120.2 for a net of negative 19.6. However, when Sochan is on the bench and Wembanyama stays in the game, the Spurs are better on both ends of the floor with a 117.8 offensive rating and 111.7 defensive rating for a net of positive 6.1.
Plastic-Dot-9278 then added another key stat to this claim: Wembanyama's average with and without Sochan.
Wembanyama only averages 20.3 points on 47.8 percent true shooting and 3.3 assists when Sochan is in the game. However, when Sochan is on the bench, Wembanyama's numbers are up to 26.1 points on 59.6 percent true shooting.
The Reddit user explained:
"Sochan looks Victor off about 50 times a game and often pretends like he isn't even there when he asks for the ball in his spots."
Victor Wembanyama plays okay as Jeremy Sochan struggles vs. Warriors
Victor Wembanyama played solidly for the San Antonio Spurs against the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, finishing with 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and one steal. However, Wembanyama had six turnovers, something he needs to address next game.
Sochan, on the other hand, had a quiet seven points, six rebounds, and four assists in 33 minutes of action, numbers you do not expect from a starting point guard.
Center Zach Collins ended up as the top facilitator for the San Antonio Spurs with six assists.