It's too soon to start buying stock, but Jeremy Sochan's preseason debut with the Portland Trail Blazers offered an intriguing reminder of how he's long been compared to Nicolas Batum from an upside perspective. Heralded for his defensive versatility and playmaking, Sochan has unfortunately been unable to close the gap by developing a reliable jumper.
Though it was only one preseason game, Sochan decided to unleash what certainly looked like an improved jump shot and thus planted the seeds for the Batum comparisons to resume.
Sochan currently boasts career averages of 0.6 three-point field goals made on 26.6 percent shooting. That's prevented him from realizing his potential as an all-around player, particularly on a San Antonio Spurs team that was building around big man Victor Wembanyama.
Though he only played nine minutes during the Trail Blazers' preseason debut, what he showed during that time was at least worth monitoring.
Sochan scored 10 points in those nine minutes, shooting 4-of-6 from the field. More importantly, he buried a pair of corner threes, each time going up with confidence and catching nothing but net. Though it's far too early to get excited, it's not too soon to explore what an improved jumper would entail.
Sochan may not be the most orthodox player under the sun, but what he brings to the table could make him a vital addition to the Blazers if his jump shot improvement is real.
Jeremy Sochan burying jumpers would rekindle Nic Batum hype
Sochan, 23, was the No. 9 overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft. Standing at 6'8" and 230 pounds with a 7'0" wingspan and plus athleticism, there was instant reason for intrigue. He delivered in most respects, as he emerged as one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA.
In 2024-25, for instance, Sochan ranked in the 99th percentile in defensive positional versatility, the 98th percentile in matchup difficulty, and the 96th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, per Basketball Index.
Sochan achieved those rankings while playing 25.3 minutes per game. He also turned in an intriguing degree of statistical balance at 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 offensive boards, and 2.4 assists on 53.5 percent shooting from the field.
Unfortunately, Sochan shot just 30.8 percent from beyond the arc and the Spurs shifted toward prioritizing wings who could better space the floor, including Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell.
He's still just 23 years of age, however, and remains one of the most versatile defensive players in the NBA—as well as an excellent offensive rebounder and skilled passer. If he can sustainably improve his jump shot, then Portland could realistically find a place for him in the rotation and help him tap into the Batum-like upside that helped define his draft stock.
With something to prove a strong baseline of talent and versatility to build off of, Sochan is a jumper away from a breakthrough the Blazers would undoubtedly benefit from.
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