Filipino Players in Foreign Leagues

[jasper222]

No one is suggesting Kai's declining or stagnant. But it's not at the trajectory rapid improvement rate required to make the NBA.

Simply said if Kai's trajectory development was similar to some of his peers in his TSF years he would have been drafted this year, but it didn't happen. The teams drafting obviously didn't think so.

No, I disagree. Kai's current improvement rate is so fast it's astonishing. Just a year ago he was struggling to run up and down the court. Just 2 years ago he couldn't stop any senior guy on the block. This year he's displaying the level of activity people were looking from him in the years before, and when CJ Bruton gave him any playing time he usually delivered, especially in his last 2 NBL games. While Kai still can't stop big men like Al Dwairi completely in their tracks, he can mostly alter their shots to a certain extent now. All this at 20 years old.

Now about Sengun: different people have different rates of improvement. Would you have said Steve Nash was never going to be MVP level because of his level of play the first Suns stint he had, then you'd be very wrong since he got 2 after the age of 30. Sengun is definitely ahead of Kai in terms of development at the same age range, but Kai's rapid development in the previous year is not to be understated. That one AND-1 layup where Kai turned midair is something you will barely see in any 7 footer even in the NBA, which is why the commentator mentioned the NBA in the first place (even if he said he's not there yet - that's just the common point of view for the casuals, not people who watched Kai every step of the way).

Sengun is a starter for an NBA team, that's fine. I'm not asking that for Kai. As long as he can play in the NBA whether it's from the bench then I'm all for it. That's the level I've always advocated and supported for.

[jasper222]

Heoball : According to BasketLife Magazine stream KT Suwon is closing in on signing a Filipino Reinforcement player. The player was not named but the player is in college, can play forward and guard.

My guess? Dave Ildefonso.

That's everyone's guess at this point, it can't be Carl Tamayo even though he's also a hot prospect for the KBL.

[jasper222]

Doesn't he still struggle to run up and down the court.

By NBA big man standards his running ability is sub par

AD doesn't even run the court full speed every time. By NBA big man standards he's smack dab in the middle. You're either overestimating NBA bigs or only watching the star bigs like Giannis and Embiid. Jock Landale himself doesn't run up like this every time sealing his man, are you kidding me?

It's a shame his numbers are all down across the board. If your statement was in fact true concerning his "Rapid development" the numbers are telling a completely different story.

It's fine though I know where you are coming from, you have a narrative to push lol.

You mean in the NBL? Lmao the season is not yet over, his numbers are down because CJ did the same thing in the previous season. Give Kai some limited minutes to none at all, then use him in 15 min increments when they were comfortably out of the playoffs and when DJ was injured. In this point in time in the previous season, Kai was lucky to get 2 mins of PT. I predicted this before this current NBL season began, and I was sadly right on the money.

That's the thing though. Kai and Sengun are both the same age, I think Sengun could be a few months younger.

Both are in their 2nd years in their respective leagues.

Sengun started out a bench player and has now earnt his place as a starter while increasing his numbers at a substantial rate in his 2nd year. This is what I would call "RAPID DEVELOPMENT".

https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/175107/alperen-sengun

Kai on the other hand is in an inferior league and his numbers and playing time have all decreased in his 2nd year. He is still a bench player and hasn't even shown anything to the coaching staff to warrant him a starting spot. I definitely would not call this "RAPID DEVELOPMENT".

https://www.proballers.com/basketball/player/175078/kai-sotto

So far all the NBA draft analysts, NBA scouts and 30 NBA teams decision to not rate and snub Kai as a prospect is looking like the right choice.

I hope Kai can prove them wrong in the remainder of this NBL season.

Sengun physically developed better than Kai. Are we not taking this into consideration? Sengun is also 6'11, not a true 7 footer like Kai is.

The point is that Kai's development as a player is already NBA worthy. You can disagree with me, but agents still looking at Kai up to this day disproves any agenda you and the people on your side are trying to push, since your argument is wholly based upon Kai not being in the NBA at this point in time. Wasserman willing to take on Kai after Joel Bell screwed everything up is proof enough.

[earldeboy]

That's everyone's guess at this point, it can't be Carl Tamayo even though he's also a hot prospect for the KBL.

Some say it's James Spencer. I'm not sure though if he's eligible to play in the KBL. Their eligibility guidelines is a little tricky.

[jasper222]

What agenda?

The fact is all 30 NBA teams snubbed Kai in the draft for a reason.

The 14 teams he worked out for drew a thick black line through his name and said NEXT.

NBA worthy? Ok we will see which NBA team signs Kai in the off season LOL.

I'm sure NBA teams are frothing at the mouth to sign an NBL bench centre who averages 4 & 4.

The agenda that Kai will never be able to play in the NBA? Like you said a few pages ago? Pushing this 4 & 4 narrative as if I didn't disprove this already? Lmao.

Even former NBL MVP Corey Williams went on Instagram and made an IG story about giving Kai more minutes after this FIBA Window.

Not only is Sengun more physically developed, he is a way superior basketball player to Kai in pretty much every facet.

Just look at this video on Sengun's footwork. Kai has shown absolutely none of that at the NBL level.

But he has? The problem with that kind of footwork is that you need the equivalent muscle to execute it. We've seen Kai's footwork in the high school level, as well as that up and under against KSA. We've seen him try it against NBL bigs but they're just too big too strong. Don't tell me you're going to claim that force doesn't matter concerning footwork in the post.

That is the level of play you have to show in international domestic leagues for the NBA to even consider you as an international big man prospect.

Sengun MVP of Turkish league = Drafted

Kai Sotto bench player (Fans MVP NBL) = Undrafted

Jock Landale Finals MVP NBL = Signed NBA Free Agent

Again, the basis of the "logical" argument is only rooted in the present, not the future which is what potential is about, what trajectory is about. Saying all this implies that Kai will never get into the NBA. Wasserman says hello.

Kai's repeated sprint efforts are piss poor.

He can sprint about 3 times max effort before his running drops tremendously.

Do we have a source here or is this an elaborate troll job? If you can demand links and sources from us then I'll demand the same from you.

[Sikatrix]

My fear with Kai is he is the son of Ervin Sotto and while that gifted him with height, Ervin Sotto was a limited athlete and a PBA end of the bench journeyman.

[ja.he]

My fear with Kai is he is the son of Ervin Sotto and while that gifted him with height, Ervin Sotto was a limited athlete and a PBA end of the bench journeyman.

Actually, Kobe Paras's athleticism and Andre Paras's strength were attributes of their dad Benjie while the latter was playing.

[zairex]

My fear with Kai is he is the son of Ervin Sotto and while that gifted him with height, Ervin Sotto was a limited athlete and a PBA end of the bench journeyman.

If you saw Ervin Sotto play in college thru Pros. He wasn't agresive and relay on his height unlike Ranidel, who is slow but was active. Ervin was a skilled big man thou.

I think for Kai it is more of his strength and stamina that is the issue. I know he doesn't have a big motor like Abueva, he is definitely agresive and willing to improve than his father.

[magic_chiongson]

My fear with Kai is he is the son of Ervin Sotto and while that gifted him with height, Ervin Sotto was a limited athlete and a PBA end of the bench journeyman.

imo kai is already more mobile than when his dad was at his prime, which isn't saying much. ervin was like a smaller mick pennisi

[Sikatrix]

imo kai is already more mobile than when his dad was at his prime, which isn't saying much. ervin was like a smaller mick pennisi

Kai's development is noticeable for sure. Still may not be at an NBA level but wherever he lands, as long as he is healthy, he'll be great for Gilas.

[PeeZones]

It is now Sengun over Kai.haha Give accurate statistics of Sengun and Landale's full-court dash based on the NBA combine and ill give Kai's BWB full-court dash.haha

He has now moved on from the rebound issue because he was clearly burned.haha After this sprint then it would be about how Kai is sitting or how Kai's drink his water.hahaha Pathetic!haha

[PeeZones]

WCC is good competition, St Marys was up against Gonzaga. Also by his fourth year Landale was the star player for his team, I heavily doubt Kai is in the same trajectory.

How many WCC teams are in the march madness? Are those teams better than NBL pros and Senior NTs? Also, it is a given that older players meaning juniors and seniors would dominate the college games. They are older than the competition, it is a given. If he dominates at age 19 or 20, then that is commendable. The majority of NCAA teams don't have imposing bigs.

[Sikatrix]

How many WCC teams are in the march madness? Are those teams better than NBL pros and Senior NTs? Also, it is a given that older players meaning juniors and seniors would dominate the college games. They are older than the competition, it is a given. If he dominates at age 19 or 20, then that is commendable. The majority of NCAA teams don't have imposing bigs.

2-3 teams make march madness in the WCC. One of which is often St Marys.

I have to say, a late bloomer like Landale is rare but proves its not impossible to reach the NBA at a later age. But to say Kai is worthy of the NBA now is discounting the amount of work he needs to put in and if Kai puts in that work, it will not only benefit him but Gilas as well.

[DAdmiral]

Landale's improvement so late in his career is actually incredibly rare , remember he was a bench warmer for the Spurs last season. And now at 27 years old with Phoenix he's playing well .
While some may say cause he got PT , but that's the thing you don't just get PT , unless your showing the coach what you can do in practice. CJ already disclosed why he can't give Kai more minutes (reported to season unconditioned). . We can rationalize all we want why he's getting less minutes , but at end of the day , NBA scouts rarely almost never look at undrafted players who are not only not starting for foreign teams , but who's stats are not improving from year to year rapidly. Note the biggest expected jump is from Rookie year to 2nd year (this is expected), it's not happening for Kai. Kai has to be a starter and be an all NBL candidate to be noticed by NBA teams , if he can't do this over an aging and defensively weak DJ in 36ers , this speaks volumes..
For sure the centers like Seagun in Turkish league had to compete with better centers to get minute over , and they did to get noticed

[thatweirdguy]

IMO those months away from competitive games really wasted a lot of his potential. Things would have been really different if he got the right people around him who's really concerned with his NBA dream and not just leeching off of him. Remember when people here were anxious on what he was doing or lack of activity during his down time?