Kai Sotto Thread

[B L A C K S U N2]

the silver lining here is that at least there's still takers for kai - so the dragonflies basically are selling kai to another team?

i already had a bad feeling when the dragonflies signed a naturalized player, that was a clear sign that kai won't be in the lineup

snippets from the SPIN article:

But just like in Australia, where playing time was a hindrance to his improvement (15.5 minutes per), the Dragonflies also held back Sotto's growth, giving him only 19.1 minutes per game.

The Dragonflies, meanwhile, had grown increasingly disappointed with Kai's continued absence, sources told.

Hence, the mutual agreement to separate.

This latest twist in Kai's story doesn't alter the path toward achieving his ultimate dream.

"He has a full-time trainer now. We expect him to play 30 minutes a game in his new team. We still want him to gain 15 pounds of muscle. He is only 21 and the window is still wide open to make it to the NBA," one of his reps told me.
​
seriously, playing time is earned not given. and 19 minutes for a pro team is not spot minutes. if kai wants to play 30 minutes that means he has to really outplay a world import for the main bigman role.

hope he ends up in a team that has a shallow center rotation and has no world import manning the slot. if he ends up with a team that has an established world import big his minutes will go down for sure.

LMAO. Sotto camp truly loves blaming others for his mediocrity. Like the they expect those teams to develop and babysit Kai, instead of him proving why he deserves to have a longer playing time.

"He is only 21 and the window is still wide open to make it to the NBA,"
The ship has sailed a long time ago, he's not an NBA caliber player. He can barely produce anything in NBL and B League, do they really expect an extremely mid 7ft player to reach NBA at this point? How long the delusion will continue?

 

[paolylo2]

LMAO. Sotto camp truly loves blaming others for his mediocrity. Like the they expect those teams to develop and babysit Kai, instead of him proving why he deserves to have a longer playing time.

"He is only 21 and the window is still wide open to make it to the NBA,"
The ship has sailed a long time ago, he's not an NBA caliber player. He can barely produce anything in NBL and B League, do they really expect an extremely mid 7ft player to reach NBA at this point? How long the delusion will continue?

He should just stay in Asia whether it's Japan, Korea, Taiwan, NBL, or even China. The kid is soft and hasn't improved his game enough to compensate for it. Also doesn't help his body is already damaged goods this early. He had a slow motion shot release, he really doesn't have a go-to move that works in levels above the US AAU circuit, he's not even a good rebounder. All he has is rim protection which we've seen from a handful of Indians who tried their luck in the G League/D League.

 

[CoJ2]

He should just stay in Asia whether it's Japan, Korea, Taiwan, NBL, or even China. The kid is soft and hasn't improved his game enough to compensate for it. Also doesn't help his body is already damaged goods this early. He had a slow motion shot release, he really doesn't have a go-to move that works in levels above the US AAU circuit, he's not even a good rebounder. All he has is rim protection which we've seen from a handful of Indians who tried their luck in the G League/D League.

i dont think he’ll survive in the CBA, they have higher quality ex nba players there (i.e. Tacko Fall)

Plus age 21 is already old in NBA standards, Luka and Tatum were multiple time all stars already at that age. While a lot of fringe nba players are already out of the league at age 22-24.

Kai needs a Prigioni/Scola type career in a high level league before he gets noticed by the nba. His height and hype alone wont cut it. Plus that injury during the summer league is already a red flag

 

[greenarcher2]

Yokohama. Time to show what he got with a weaker team.

 

[Kaireem2]

Yokohama. Time to show what he got with a weaker team.

so he's joining the 19th placed team with a 7-12 record

 

[CoJ2]

does Kai have competition at the C spot at Yokohama? he still
ought to earn those minutes though

 

[NightShift2]

You know men are really delusional when you see them treat Kai as some kind of extra special basketball player. He has bounced around many teams already and they're still searching for the perfect team and coach? Unbelievable!

 

[Silent Killer2]

does Kai have competition at the C spot at Yokohama? he still
ought to earn those minutes though

Jarrod Uthoff

 

[paolylo2]

You know men are really delusional when you see them treat Kai as some kind of extra special basketball player. He has bounced around many teams already and they're still searching for the perfect team and coach? Unbelievable!

That or being "pihikan" with the location. Hiroshima isn't exactly a Tokyo or an Osaka where he could experience suburban city living like he would in Atlanta or even Las Pinas hehe

 

[reamily2]

Lol BC Wolves interested on him..

 

[greenarcher2]

Lol BC Wolves interested on him..

Maybe they need a 7 foot water boy or ball boy.

 

[reamily2]

Maybe they need a 7 foot water boy or ball boy.

hahahha

 

[magic_chiongson2]

Yokohama. Time to show what he got with a weaker team.

yuki kawamura's team, they played against each other in the fiba asia u16 championship, iirc kai had a 20-20 game

Jarrod Uthoff

they also have a world import who exclusively plays center. it won't matter how many centers a team kai is on has if he doesn't play well, he was hiroshima's only center and yet he got benched

 

[Kaireem2]

https://b-corsairs.com/team/players/

 

[NOiNU2]

In Kai’s case, bulking up and playing 30 mins is an oxymoron. Not with the way the game is played now.

I am all for Kai packing up the muscles, but expecting him to play 30 mins on average is a tough ask. Maybe when the matchup allows, yeah. But for this to materialize, they’d have to runnthe defensive schemes around him. Idk, from a coaching perspective this isn’t really a sound move.

I’d rather have Kai play 18-22 QUALITY minutes.

 

[Kaireem2]

In Kai’s case, bulking up and playing 30 mins is an oxymoron. Not with the way the game is played now.

I am all for Kai packing up the muscles, but expecting him to play 30 mins on average is a tough ask. Maybe when the matchup allows, yeah. But for this to materialize, they’d have to runnthe defensive schemes around him. Idk, from a coaching perspective this isn’t really a sound move.

I’d rather have Kai play 18-22 QUALITY minutes.

well for that to happen kai has to impact the game and help his team win first, if you read the article of kai's resident payola quack journalist the demand for 30 minutes of playing time is for kai to be showcased so that he can impress nba scouts - no single mention about him helping his new team to win games.

 

[Kaireem2]

You know men are really delusional when you see them treat Kai as some kind of extra special basketball player. He has bounced around many teams already and they're still searching for the perfect team and coach? Unbelievable!

and what's disturbing is that quack journalists like homer sayson are disrespecting and misleading people with their articles. come on, what's the real score here - is this a mutual parting of ways or was he cut?

the original headline spin ran was that kai will be "traded" which was then changed to "loaned" - perhaps because they realized not all pinoys are dumb and that sooner at least one will point out that there are no trades in the bleague, in fact i saw one early comment asking if he will be traded for another asian import since bleague only allows 1 asian import per team.

besides, kai is said to be on a 1 year deal with hiroshima so what do they gain in return for "loaning" him to yokohama? will yokohama pay them back the salary they've paid kai to date? i mean guys, after the season with yokohama kai in effect will have no live contract with any bleague team anymore, so what does hiroshima get in return here?

 

[reamily2]

and what's disturbing is that quack journalists like homer sayson are disrespecting and misleading people with their articles. come on, what's the real score here - is this a mutual parting of ways or was he cut?

the original headline spin ran was that kai will be "traded" which was then changed to "loaned" - perhaps because they realized not all pinoys are dumb and that sooner at least one will point out that there are no trades in the bleague, in fact i saw one early comment asking if he will be traded for another asian import since bleague only allows 1 asian import per team.

besides, kai is said to be on a 1 year deal with hiroshima so what do they gain in return for "loaning" him to yokohama? will yokohama pay them back the salary they've paid kai to date? i mean guys, after the season with yokohama kai in effect will have no live contract with any bleague team anymore, so what does hiroshima get in return here?

Transfer fees

 

[B L A C K S U N2]

He should just stay in Asia whether it's Japan, Korea, Taiwan, NBL, or even China. The kid is soft and hasn't improved his game enough to compensate for it. Also doesn't help his body is already damaged goods this early. He had a slow motion shot release, he really doesn't have a go-to move that works in levels above the US AAU circuit, he's not even a good rebounder. All he has is rim protection which we've seen from a handful of Indians who tried their luck in the G League/D League.

Yes, if Europe is possible, Kai should also try his luck there. He just needs to avoid PBA at all cost, he should play where the competition and the salary is much higher. He'd still be an important piece for Gilas after all.

All these talks about him reaching the NBA is nothing but a delusion. Nothing screams about him as capable enough to be part of any NBA team let a lone getting a playing time there. Kai is light years behind the likes of Chet and Wemby. It's a fact. FFS, his fanatics had to beg for the coach and agitate the Orlando organization to let him play in Summer league.

 

[mathematicianrcg2]

In Kai’s case, bulking up and playing 30 mins is an oxymoron. Not with the way the game is played now.

I am all for Kai packing up the muscles, but expecting him to play 30 mins on average is a tough ask. Maybe when the matchup allows, yeah. But for this to materialize, they’d have to runnthe defensive schemes around him. Idk, from a coaching perspective this isn’t really a sound move.

I’d rather have Kai play 18-22 QUALITY minutes.

Just revisiting while I have time.

Long time I didnt go here.

So kai will go to Yokohama. Hmmm. I hoe he gets minutes and playing time there. he should prove it in practice already. Go Kai!!!