[ad_1]
KAI Sotto certainly has a lot of work to do on his game before he can get into the same conversation with some of his teammates at Ignite.
But for a US draft expert, the Filipino wunderkind’s performance in the two games the select team had against NBA G League veterans is a good start in pursuit of his NBA dream.
Mike Schmitz, an NBA draft expert and a DraftExpress.com contributor, wrote in his scouting report to ESPN the positives and negatives he saw in the five Ignite prospects based on what he saw in practice.
“Sotto’s scrimmage performances would not suggest that he is ready to play in the NBA tomorrow, but the fact that he is learning to play an NBA style on both ends of the court while exposing himself to the realities of his strengths and weaknesses could play a role in accelerating its development, “he wrote.
Continue reading below ↓
Recommended Videos
Sotto’s role in Ignite is significantly different from the ones he played at Ateneo in high school, with Gilas Pilipinas Youth on the international game, and even for The Skill Factory in Atlanta during the early part of his training in America.
Used to being the favorite, Sotto will be used more as a role player in Ignite, an adjustment Schmitz noted the 18-year-old must adjust to.
“At the Fiba level, where Sotto has been a force for the Philippines, he’s the guy to go to and can play at his own pace, using his excellent touch and footwork on the block while handling the paint defensively. without having to defend the perimeter. That probably would have continued to some extent in the slower-paced college game, “he said.
Now playing NBA-style alongside strong players on the perimeter, Sotto is forced to find ways to impact the game offensively without the many touches, which will ultimately come through offensive rebounds, jump shots and rim shots.
“Most of the inside-oriented greats have to modernize their games eventually, and Sotto is taking a crash course in exactly that while playing other elite high school prospects in an NBA setting.”
Schmitz noted Sotto’s need to bulk up so he could go head-to-head with stronger competition, but he also praised the UAAP Season 80 Juniors MVP perimeter play and his vision of the court, one that he felt could make the former Ateneo center stand out from the rest.
“Sotto stayed more or less in his lane offensively on both scrimmages, showing touch in the mid-range points when left open, but struggling to finish through contact consistently.
“Operating primarily from below the rim in midfield, Sotto has the shooting stroke to eventually stretch it to three and the vision to add value as a passer in short-throw situations, which is his best chance to carve out a role in the NBA offensively. , ” he wrote.
MORE OF SPIN
In those two games, Sotto averaged 5.5 points on 2 of 8 shooting from the field (25 percent), plus 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, but he also committed 2.5 fouls and 1.5 turnovers in his time on the court.
After those games, Ignite’s coach Brian Shaw focused more on Sotto’s defensive presence for Ignite, something Schmitz saw as a work in progress.
“The biggest adjustment for Sotto has been on the defensive end. In both games, he defended more screens of the ball than some big first-year players throughout conference play. Watching him come out and defend even more brought to light how much space has to grow there.
“While Sotto is agile running the court, he has never been known for his lateral quickness, and he doesn’t project like a big man who will come out and change at the highest level,” he said.
“Playing in these situations will force Sotto to learn how to survive pick-and-roll knockdown situations, as we’ve seen from Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic. Sotto struggled to keep the ball contained or get back to his own man at scrimmages. But the hope is that he can use his positional length and instincts to add value by playing the game of cat and mouse, being able to hit the ball and take the balloons off the hoop. “
MORE OF SPIN
With Sotto’s sheer size, Schmitz believes the 7-foot-2 center has the gifts to be a bona fide rim protector in due course.
Still, his strength remains suspect and something the Gilas Pilipinas stalwart must focus on if he wants to move to the next level, he added.
“Sotto shows some potential in rim protection situations thanks to his anticipation and timing. While he’s not a great run-and-jump athlete, given his nearly 9-foot-3 foot range and good instincts, he’s a factor when he doesn’t. he does. “You don’t need to cover ground quickly to put a lid on the edge,” he said. “Sotto needs to keep getting tougher on the defensive glass, which will hopefully come as his body matures.”
