In theory, free throws should be an easy thing to do, but some NBA players have seen their fair share of struggles with them. San Antonio Spurs rookie forward Jeremy Sochan is trying to solve the problem with an interesting one-handed technique.
Sochan — the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft — has already cracked the Spurs starting lineup. The Baylor product has looked promising, but his shooting percentage from the charity line has significant room for improvement. Sochan went into the Houston game shooting under 46 percent from the line for the season which led the rookie to try something different. Clips of him shooting one-handed free throws have gone viral on social media.
Sochan, who is currently rocking a similar hair color to what Dennis Rodman had during his time with the Spurs — in addition to his No. 10 jersey, has been compared to the NBA legend for a couple different reasons including his strength on defense. His one-handed free throw attempts are a new similarity, as Rodman was also known to attempt that same technique.
Rodman finished his NBA career shooting 58.4 percent from the free throw line. Did the one-handed technique work for Sochan? Not exactly. He went made one of four attempts on Monday, which dropped his overall percentage from the charity line to 42.9 percent this season. However, four shot attempts might not be enough to determine whether this style will actually work for him, so there’s a chance he might try it again in the near future.
Sochan is not the only current NBA player who is still working on his free throws. Milwaukee Bucks‘ forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has also very famously struggled in this area. On Dec. 13, Antetokounmpo got two 10-second violations in a game against the Golden State Warriors. Taking a long time to shoot free throws is nothing new for him, as opposing fans have been known to add pressure on him by counting while he shoots.
However, there is hope for Sochan because Antetokounmpo is at 63.8 percent from the foul line this season and 71.3 percent through his career. Besides, free throws are usually about mental focus. Sochon shot at 58.9 percent during his 2021-22 season with Baylor, which means he may be able to improve in that area as his career continues.