San Antonio Spurs projected lineup and rotations heading into 2023-24 season
San Antonio Spurs starting power forward: Jeremy Sochan
Jeremy Sochan started in 53 of 56 appearances for San Antonio as a rookie. The Baylor product immediately looked the part of an NBA defender, channeling Dennis Rodman with his flamboyant hair and relentless intensity. At 6-foot-9, Sochan can comfortably switch 1-5 and, while he might not live up to the Rodman cosplay, he’s certainly a presence on the glass.
The Spurs should increase Sochan’s workload in year two. There’s something to the idea of starting Wembanyama next to another center early in his career — the 7-foot-3 wunderkind struggled with physicality in Summer League, so he’s bound for some early lumps in the NBA — but ultimately the Spurs have to envision Wembanyama as the primary rim protector with Sochan’s switchable, Swiss Army knife presence next to him at the four spot. That is how the Spurs should open the season; let them go through the trials and tribulations early.
Sochan can handle his share of physical matchups anyway and the Spurs never landed a veteran center to adequately complement Wembanyama. Sochan’s offensive skill set should be the perfect match too. His 3-point shot is a work in progress, but he’s an active screener and cutter who unfurled some truly special passes for a frontcourt teenager. He connects a lot of dots and the inverted 5-4 pick-and-rolls with Wemby and Sochan will be a boatload of fun.
Primary backup power forward: Cedi Osman
The Spurs’ front office was extremely clever this summer, maneuvering into multiple three-team deals to take on salary for little to no cost. One such deal landed them Cedi Osman, who was a fixture in the Cavs’ postseason rotation. While Osman’s results were less than stellar in the playoffs, he’s a proven NBA rotation piece who, at 28 years old, brings some experience to San Antonio’s young group.
Osman averaged 8.7 points on .451/.372/.694 splits on 20.1 minutes per game for the Cavs last season. He’s a bankable 3-point shooter with enough pop attacking closeouts to punish defenses as they focus on Wemby, Vassell, and others. The defense is an ongoing challenge for Osman, who really struggled to keep his man in check in the playoffs, but he’s at least a regular-season asset.