Oct 24, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during warmups before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Recapping Jeremy Sochan's Knicks Debut

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks opened the second half against the first-place Detroit Pistons and lost, badly. But amid the wreckage, there was one subplot worth tracking. Jeremy Sochan, the newest Knick, finally made his debut, and the results were modest at best.

Sochan logged 10 minutes off the bench, finishing with two points, an assist, a steal, and a block. He entered with 26.4 seconds left in the first quarter to a warm reception from the MSG crowd, which, given how the rest of the night went, may have been the highlight.

His most notable moment came when he blocked Cade Cunningham's driving layup attempt late in the third quarter. A good play, no question, but Cunningham still walked away with 42 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds.

THAT’S WHY HE’S HERE!!! pic.twitter.com/pfAy2iJVT4
— Eryk Chmielewski (@e_chmielewskii) February 20, 2026

A steal in the fourth quarter led to a fast-break dunk, his first bucket as a Knick. It was a nice sequence, but the game was already out of reach by then, which made it feel more like a footnote than a statement.

The Knicks signed Sochan specifically for size and physicality in their frontcourt. At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, he fits the profile on paper. Whether he can deliver that consistently against real playoff competition is still an open question.

What Mike Brown Said About Jeremy Sochan's Knicks Debut

Brown was measured but fair in his postgame comments, per Robert Sanchez of SNY: "I thought for him, not having played in a while and him only being here for a couple of days, I thought he did a pretty good job."

He went further when asked what specifically stood out: "I thought his minutes were pretty good. It gives us the ability to give a guy like Cade [Cunningham] a different look. You know with his length and his strength and his athleticism, and we want to be physical."

That physicality is exactly what Brown has been building Sochan's role around since signing him. The debut at least showed he understands his assignment and is willing to embrace it.

The Knicks lost this one, and Sochan's 10 minutes won't change that narrative. Two points and a handful of hustle plays is a starting point, not a destination, for a team with genuine championship aspirations. He gets some grace for it being his first game, but the production will need to grow, and fast, if he wants a real role down the stretch.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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