Filipino Players in Foreign Leagues

[Juan Lun]

juzang is viet-am.. something to watch on in the future if ever vietnam decides to play in asian games next year..

paige bueckers. she’s rare commodity where beauty and good baller mix.. her and ionescu will have a good rivalry in the future.. too bad they got eliminated in final four. was suppose to watch the finals.. bawi next year for them..

True, I've been following her as well lately. Aari McDonald torched them though, well Paige is just a freshman so still lot of opportunity for redemption.

[Juan Lun]

With regards to Kai Jones

https://www.prospectiveinsight.com/post/the5pointplay-vol4

Standing at 6’11” with a 7’1” wingspan, Jones possesses a combination of size and effective movement skills that’s otherworldly, which, when paired with his baseline of shooting, ball-handling, and defensive nuance skills, makes for some ridiculous sequences. Adding to the lineage of Texas big-men with surplus athleticism, Jones displays a portfolio of functional fluidity that’s tantalizing on its own, regardless of what level of skill accompanies it. Regardless of height, Jones shows some of the most potent leaping in the country with an ability to get off the ground quickly in tight spaces, allowing him to reach his peak in a hurry to block shots and finish dunks in traffic. He pairs this vertical athleticism with freakish lateral abilities, able to slide with guards on the perimeter and weave through help defense on closeouts, pulling out sharp changes of direction with the ball in his hands to avoid charges before maintaining balance and touch on euro-step layups. With a sturdy base despite his lean frame, Jones can stop and start in a way most players with his center of gravity can’t, allowing him to shake defenders for dunks amongst the fray despite his limited, yet still functional, handle.

Jones’ contributions around the rim are certainly worth noticing considering how he’s arriving at these numbers. Over the year, Jones is one of five underclassmen that’s finished 33 dunks, a reflection of his athleticism, and he pairs this number with a conversion rate of 72% near the rim despite only 63% of those finishes coming off of assists. This isn’t a jaw-dropping number in terms of self-creation ability, but it reflects how Jones is able to leverage his athleticism into rim opportunities that aren’t always just lobs, and shows that he does have touch to pair with the power that often accompanies his slams. It would also be one thing if Jones was simply using dominant physical traits to control the paint, but we’ve seen some real flashes of shooting skill that don’t seem to be mirages. Jones sports a clean stroke out to the college three, where he’s shooting 42% this year, and more importantly, a level of comfort with putting the ball on the ground on pull-ups inside the arc when closed out on. Typically, players with Jones’ size and athleticism show an all-or-nothing approach at his age, where everything’s a spot up or a finish, but Jones has proven time and again that he’s more than able to hit the brakes in front of sagging help defense to hit a mid-range jumper. How important this skill is at the next level is hard to project, but what this does show is that Jones is really just scratching the surface in terms of how he may be able to contribute as a floor-spacer down the line. Considering his percentages along with the remarkable confidence behind his shots, it’s easy to see him becoming a worthwhile triggerman in the NBA, regardless of position or size. A sample size of 26 attempts can be dangerous to extrapolate on, but sequences such as this are truly one of a kind for someone with Jones’ physical profile:

This all not to mention his defense, which has the framework to be incredibly valuable down the line with his ability to move laterally, flip his hips, and reach his leaping peak in contorted positions — all traits that lend themselves to him executing diverse pick-and-roll coverages consistently. As I discussed on my recent appearance on Sense and Scalability, where we mused on the merits of spacing as a concept on both sides of the ball, having bigs who can guard both above and below the screen with similar prolificity unlocks possibilities on the defensive end that aren’t available to teams with more traditional bigs. With his reach, leaping, and fluidity, Jones should be able to deter shots and protect the rim in drop coverage while also being able to ice sideline screens and corral ball-handlers, with true switchability figuring within his reasonable range of outcomes. As you can see above, it’s not only his physical traits that make Jones effective, but also the level of nuance he possesses in areas that are unfamiliar to others in his position group. While the goal for many bigs after a switch is to simply send the handler into help, Jones deploys timely pokes and reaches to pry the ball loose from dribblers to force turnovers. How many 6’10” guys can be counted on to make a college guard nervous in a switch?

Reminds me of the Christian Woods, James Wisemans and Nick Claxtons.

Hopefully Kai does take the criticism from his teammates to be aggressive to heart, watch more of these kind of players and expand the other aspects of his game

[jasper222]

I don’t think it’s really Givony, more just nba teams being interested mainly because of:

“...having bigs who can guard both above and below the screen with similar prolificity unlocks possibilities on the defensive end that aren’t available to teams with more traditional bigs...”

I don't think what Givony writes is what NBA teams generally want; 5 of the top teams play drop coverage with their big man (Jazz, Nuggets, Bucks, Sixers, Nets). It's just that in a PNR dominated league, mobile big men with high athleticism are more fit (which is why Shaqtin MVP Javale McGee returned to the Nuggets for example).

Basically, NBA teams just weigh their options, and Kai being a traditional big who's forced to play drop coverage isn't a knock against him, unlike what Givony and company are trying very hard to push. Jazz wouldn't be #1 defense if drop coverage was such a bad scheme defensively.

[TheRodster21]

I don't think what Givony writes is what NBA teams generally want; 5 of the top teams play drop coverage with their big man (Jazz, Nuggets, Bucks, Sixers, Nets). It's just that in a PNR dominated league, mobile big men with high athleticism are more fit (which is why Shaqtin MVP Javale McGee returned to the Nuggets for example).

Basically, NBA teams just weigh their options, and Kai being a traditional big who's forced to play drop coverage isn't a knock against him, unlike what Givony and company are trying very hard to push. Jazz wouldn't be #1 defense if drop coverage was such a bad scheme defensively.

I’m waiting for the playoffs because that when we will really see schemes and players get tested.

Edit:

Watching this Rudy is actually comfortable guarding the perimeter

Also watching the highlights of recent jazz, suns, the amount of open midrange shots booker had because Gobert dropped instead of coming out in the first half

Also in the fourth when the score was close Chris Paul had an open look and in OT as well again for Devin Booker

[PeeZones]

I don't think what Givony writes is what NBA teams generally want; 5 of the top teams play drop coverage with their big man (Jazz, Nuggets, Bucks, Sixers, Nets). It's just that in a PNR dominated league, mobile big men with high athleticism are more fit (which is why Shaqtin MVP Javale McGee returned to the Nuggets for example).

Basically, NBA teams just weigh their options, and Kai being a traditional big who's forced to play drop coverage isn't a knock against him, unlike what Givony and company are trying very hard to push. Jazz wouldn't be #1 defense if drop coverage was such a bad scheme defensively.

Ultra athletic bigs arent really the top tier centers. Most allstars were the highly skilled and intelligent bigs. Deandre Jordan would have been an ATG if that was the case. Most super athletic but less skilled players were mostly role players and can barely be an allstar. Ex Biyombo, Deandre, Mo Bamba ETC. If you mix super athletes with intelligence and skills then most likely they are ATG like Hakeem and Robinson.

[jasper222]

Watching this Rudy is actually comfortable guarding the perimeter

Also watching the highlights of recent jazz, suns, the amount of open midrange shots booker had because Gobert dropped instead of coming out in the first half

Also in the fourth when the score was close Chris Paul had an open look and in OT as well again for Devin Booker

Gobert's perimeter defense is all because of positioning, like Jokic's. The recent Jazz-Suns game shows that, since players like Booker and Paul thrive in the midrange, a drop coverage team's weakness, opening up Ayton for putbacks (Jazz tried gang rebounding against him, it didn't work). Kai will need to develop that obviously.

Ultra athletic bigs arent really the top tier centers. Most allstars were the highly skilled and intelligent bigs. Deandre Jordan would have been an ATG if that was the case. Most super athletic but less skilled players were mostly role players and can barely be an allstar. Ex Biyombo, Deandre, Mo Bamba ETC. If you mix super athletes with intelligence and skills then most likely they are ATG like Hakeem and Robinson.

I agree with you. I'm just poking fun at Givony's bias against traditional big men.

[PeeZones]

Gobert's perimeter defense is all because of positioning, like Jokic's. The recent Jazz-Suns game shows that, since players like Booker and Paul thrive in the midrange, a drop coverage team's weakness, opening up Ayton for putbacks (Jazz tried gang rebounding against him, it didn't work). Kai will need to develop that obviously.



I agree with you. I'm just poking fun at Givony's bias against traditional big men.

We should look for footages of Givony playing bball or if he has bball background.lol He marvels on athleticism and doesn't put premium on skills. I would bet Givony doesnt have bball background.hahaha

Also, professional bball all over the world isn't played on a high octane pace. Only youth and college bball were played in frantic speed. If we watch NBA games, it is mostly deliberate and quickness is only use when necessary. The burst of speed isn't always displayed and I think Kai would thrive in such setting.

[JoeDumars]

We should look for footages of Givony playing bball or if he has bball background.lol He marvels on athleticism and doesn't put premium on skills. I would bet Givony doesnt have bball background.hahaha

Also, professional bball all over the world isn't played on a high octane pace. Only youth and college bball were played in frantic speed. If we watch NBA games, it is mostly deliberate and quickness is only use when necessary. The burst of speed isn't always displayed and I think Kai would thrive in such setting.

How about you PeeZones whats your basketball credentials?

Other than being the most brilliant basketball mind and most intelligent international basketball scout in this forum,with your tag team partner and bff Astigram

[JoeDumars]

Troll accounts, the ever and only reliable go to.

Not really. I aint a troll account. Sorry to burst your insecure and sensitive bubble ha ha ha.

You and your bff PeeZones - you two really make good tag team partners! Keep it up !

[JoeDumars]

Nice article on Ignite's Princepal Singh in The Ringer

India’s Newest NBA Hopeful Is a Window Into the Country’s Basketball Future

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2021/3/16/22332046/princepal-singh-nba-g-league-ignite-basketball-rise-india

my context: high US media interest on players playing for a 'high profile' NBA connected league ( even if the player is a benchwarmer only). This is precious media mileage for Mr Singh who stayed put w/ Ignite. The Ringer is 1 of the top sports websites managed by Bill Simmons. A similar feel good story couldve featured Kai Sotto IF only ....... If article was on Kai - Facebook , IBN and Internet woudve exploded ( in the Philippines)

[jasper222]

^^Princepal Singh also played for his home country during his Ignite stint. Troll if you must, but at least don't misrepresent the facts.

[JoeDumars]

^^Princepal Singh also played for his home country during his Ignite stint. Troll if you must, but at least don't misrepresent the facts.

If you are feeling trolled then so be it. Thats on you. Im not here to convince you. So what if Singh played for his country. What's the connection with the article.

My point was the media mileage garnered in the US (NBA )helped in great way because a virtually unknown player (Singh) played for /stuck it out with Ignite.

A priceless media mileage for someone aspiring to enter the NBA, especially to non American and lowly ranked players like Singh and Sotto. Singh/Sotto are both benchwarmers of Ignite. Singh stayed put ( even as a benchwarmer) , Kai did not.

Singh's perseverance reaped dividends IN A WAY or INDIRECTLY because a well written article was made on him. This article, in one way or the other, was read by NBA stakeholders, other media people and enthusiasts. This is 1 of the missed opportunities of Kai.

(Now whether Singh will be drafted this yr or enter the NBA sometime in the future, thats another story)

[DAdmiral]

It actually is a valid question and debate, who has a better chance of making the NBA (10 day contract or whatever) Kai or Singh?
Both probably will not be drafted this year or ever ( draft class is automatically 2021 due to signing a contact with an US based pro team as per CBA) .

I would say Kai is more talented and more upside, but Singh may actually have things going for him (large Indian market) and his relationship with Ignite and the NBA. , the room for historical negative experiences isn't much for border line players . There is a reason why Sean Marks and Brian Scalabrine have had long NBA careers despite their obvious limited talent.

[Juan Lun]

If you are feeling trolled then so be it. Thats on you. Im not here to convince you. So what if Singh played for his country. What's the connection with the article.

My point was the media mileage garnered in the US (NBA )helped in great way because a virtually unknown player (Singh) played for /stuck it out with Ignite.

A priceless media mileage for someone aspiring to enter the NBA, especially to non American and lowly ranked players like Singh and Sotto. Singh/Sotto are both benchwarmers of Ignite. Singh stayed put ( even as a benchwarmer) , Kai did not.

Singh's perseverance reaped dividends IN A WAY or INDIRECTLY because a well written article was made on him. This article, in one way or the other, was read by NBA stakeholders, other media people and enthusiasts. This is 1 of the missed opportunities of Kai.

(Now whether Singh will be drafted this yr or enter the NBA sometime in the future, thats another story)

Agree, this is why our Asian neighbors have produced NBA players because they stick it out through thick and thin, they don't let the hype train get into their head. I'd really hope Kai's handlers would stop with the marketing (youtube highlights , kaiju academy etc) and concentrate on training Kai, once kai makes it to the NBA then they can start reaping their investment

[jasper222]

If you are feeling trolled then so be it. Thats on you. Im not here to convince you. So what if Singh played for his country. What's the connection with the article.

My point was the media mileage garnered in the US (NBA )helped in great way because a virtually unknown player (Singh) played for /stuck it out with Ignite.

A priceless media mileage for someone aspiring to enter the NBA, especially to non American and lowly ranked players like Singh and Sotto. Singh/Sotto are both benchwarmers of Ignite. Singh stayed put ( even as a benchwarmer) , Kai did not.

Singh's perseverance reaped dividends IN A WAY or INDIRECTLY because a well written article was made on him. This article, in one way or the other, was read by NBA stakeholders, other media people and enthusiasts. This is 1 of the missed opportunities of Kai.

(Now whether Singh will be drafted this yr or enter the NBA sometime in the future, thats another story)

I hope you have sources to insinuate that Kai is like Kobe. I highly doubt his decision to play for Gilas while antagonizing Ignite was just his decision alone.

As for Singh being drafted, Sim Bhullar already played in the NBA so it's likely that another Indian player coming in will happen. Also, Vivek Ranadive is of Indian descent.