Entering Monday night’s slate of games, the Spurs were tied with the Rockets for the worst record in the Western Conference. It’s clearly rebuilding time in San Antonio, so there is no idea too bold or outlandish in a year when the franchise is simply trying to figure out possible paths toward a more successful era.
With that philosophy in mind, consider rookie forward Jeremy Sochan’s new free throw form all part of the plan.
The ninth overall pick in this year’s draft has been a mainstay in the Spurs’ lineup, making 21 starts through the team’s first 30 games. He’s shown plenty of promise during that run, with the exception of one area: foul shooting. Prior to Monday’s game, Sochan was shooting 45.8% on 24 attempts, which led to this adjustment in his first trip to the stripe against Houston.
Unusual shooting styles have made their way to NBA arenas in the past. Rick Barry famously used an underhanded technique en route to a 90% career mark from the line. Sochan does not have to reach those heights for his latest experiment to be deemed successful—perhaps merely reaching the 50% threshold would suffice. He posted a 58.9% mark in his one season at Baylor, so there is certainly room to grow.
Maybe Sochan will try Barry’s two-handed, underhand method in the future. But for now, let’s enjoy the one-handed free throws while we still can.
