Kai Sotto doesn’t pay attention to rankings, simulates drafts before G-League debut

MANILA, Philippines – While he casts a couple of his teammates as lottery picks, Kai Sotto’s name has rarely appeared in drills of the 2021 NBA Rookie Draft.

Both Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga have been ranked as potential high picks in next year’s draft, and the 6-foot-5 Green is generally behind Oklahoma State rookie Cade Cunningham, who has apparently established himself as the top pick. general consensus selection at this time.

Another of his G-League Ignite teammates, point guard Daishen Nix, is being projected as a late first-round pick. Athletic have also featured Isaiah Todd as a potential second assailant.

However, the 18-year-old Sotto is absent from most drills, at least for 2021. It’s a situation that the young Filipino says doesn’t bother him as he tries to ignore those rankings or projections.

“I think I’m not paying much attention to the rankings,” Sotto said during a media availability session last week.

“I know what I’m capable of. And my dad and I, my dad always tells me: ‘Don’t overthink it because you will only focus on improving as a player and as a player.’ So for me that doesn’t really matter that much, “he insisted.

“I’m focused on getting better, and wherever they rank me, it’s their opinion and I can’t do anything about it. So I’ll focus on getting better.”

In May, Sotto announced that he was quitting college to turn pro and join the NBA G-League, where he and other top prospects will play for Team Ignite. They are ready to receive world-class training both on and off the court to prepare them for a life in the NBA.

The hope is that Sotto, who is now 7-foot-2, will be the first homegrown Filipino to make it to the NBA. In an interview in September, he said that his goal is to reach the top league in the world in five years.

Sotto believes he has improved during his training with Team Ignite, especially with former Los Angeles Lakers coach Brian Shaw monitoring his development. But he always remembers a message from his father, former professional player Ervin Sotto.

“My dad always tells me I’m not good enough (yet) every day,” Sotto said. “He always tells me to improve every day, because the NBA, the competition is not a joke.”

“It’s full of great players, probably the best in the world, so I’m doing my best every day to get better and better, so I’ll be ready for competition when I get to the NBA.” “he added.

“I always keep that in mind, that I’m always behind,” Sotto said. “It’s like a motivation for me to work even harder, to improve.”

Sotto and Team Ignite are expected to make their G-League debut in a “bubble” soon, although the league has yet to announce a competition schedule or format.