Kai Sotto is not ready for the NBA.
Or I guess, it's the other way around?
Centers have been in the worst position in the NBA for some time now because the league created this idea of positionless basketball. Most players usually go for isolation, but it's even more insane right now. Halfcourt logo shooting has been the norm these days and we all delight in the shooting prowess of Steph Curry... or Duncan Robinson from deep.
This is insane, considering that the last three MVP winners - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid are more or less seven-footers and the Denver Nuggets were almost unstoppable because they had the combo Jokic and Aaron Gordon fueling their championship hopes inside the paint.
With the exception of these three - and possibly a host of others like Domantas Sabonis, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nikola Vucevic, centers are regarded as virtual rebounding and blocking meat shields. Kevon Looney and Brook Lopez weren't as regarded during the regular season as compared to the playoffs.
I know Kai had jitters during his first and only 2023 NBA Summer League match but it's insane that a player of his size can't get into the free throw line. Yes, he missed a couple of jumpers and that one alley-oop but it's not like he didn't dominate the inside. Sotto blocked a lot of shots including one from Portland star player prospect Shaedon Sharpe. While yeah, he had that two-handed rim-rattler in the fourth quarter but his volleyball swats are way better in the scheme of things.
The NBA is undoubtedly the best basketball league in the world but it's also the most clueless. They lost a lot of half-court clout because the American big man are too busy being multi-positioned. European centers have an inside game as well as an outside game with most of their guards being pass-first than combo. In their FIBA roster, incoming second-year player Walker Kessler is the only true center in the team with Paolo Banchero, Bobby Portis, and Jaren Jackson Jr. as main backups. This is to think that Portis is probably the fourth-scoring option in Milwaukee and Banchero is pretty much a point forward in Orlando.
This is the problem with Kai Sotto. Whether it's Gerry Abadiano during their Gilas Under-18 days or his teammates in Adelaide and Hiroshima, they can't seem to locate the towering big man hovering in the middle. And Gilas Pilipinas is no different - at the start of the contests. Kai gets his way when Chot Reyes or his teammates realize that their big man isn't as big of a defensive threat or they need to pound the ball on the inside to free up their shooters.
With the PBA closely patterning their game to the NBA, it's nice that we are still somewhat immune to the way they treat their centers. With that said, our guards have also transformed into combo guards and in some ways, this is one of the reasons why some teams continue to be conduit squads because the best point guards are playing for the top squads.
Just wait, Juami Tiongson is probably on the trading block because of how he blossomed during his stint in Terrafirma.
Anyway, this is the difference between NBA basketball and the international game. Kai is a project with height, promise, and a fan base but for some reason, he's probably going to end up as an attraction a la Tacko Fall if and when he shows up in the NBA.
I know Chot Reyes wants to dream big and give the Philippines a respectable finish in the 2023 FIBA World Cup but apart from a potential shot to make the Olympics, maybe he can make Kai Sotto his sidebar. Maybe he can make either Kai or June Mar Fajardo his first option before a kick-out to either Jordan Clarkson or Justin Brownlee. Then, he could switch to his dribble-drive penetration if that move fails to deliver anything positive. I am a nobody in terms of teaching the legends of Philippine basketball but I want the other people to see that Kai is not just an attraction.
In fact, most of the Summer League players would kill for the hype Kai will have once he sees action in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Of course, Sotto is a must to see action for the Philippines because as mentioned, our mission is to place Philippine basketball back on the global map and at the same time, create opportunities for our stars to shine on the international stage.
The PBA has accepted the idea that they shouldn't rob the kids from playing elsewhere and at the same time, give these kids a Plan B just in case their international careers take a snag. If I were one of the team owners and guys like Sotto, Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena, and Rhenz Abando become eligible, I would select them and get their rights to possibly sell it to the SMC (let's be realistic) or get their best versions whenever they want to "condition" their selves after their tournament break. Again, these kids are working as imports and we all know that it's not easy for hired guns to have the careers of Bobby Parks, Norman Black, Sean Chambers, and Justin Brownlee. It's also not as predictable - with players like Patrick Cabahug, Froi Baguion, and Al Vergara getting boss status during the mid-2000s and players like Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero, and Juan Gomez de Llano struggling to get roster spots.
With the Summer League over, Kai needs to troop back to the Gilas fold because this is the only way he can properly showcase his skills.
And maybe he can return to ABL en route to the Euroleague while we're at it?
Inasmuch as the NBA G-League is a step further for an NBA career... I doubt if there are willing players that would help him get his NBA dream there.