Kai Sotto Thread

[CoJ]

By that time barring any major injuries,Chet and Wemby will be at least 30 pounds heavier and had a championship or two and he's coming in as a rookie..............nice

funny thing, majority of nba players are already out of the league at age 28. (Hadadi, RHJ, Zhou Qi etc)


https://www.nba.com/nuggets/features...0not%20changed.

[geohunk]

funny thing, majority of nba players are already out of the league at age 28. (Hadadi, RHJ, Zhou Qi etc)


https://www.nba.com/nuggets/features/junior_bridgeman_20100610.html#:~:text=The%20avera ge%20NBA%20career%20is,after%20basketball%20has%20 not%20changed.

Anu ka ba.....according to our buddy "Kai expert" here on IBN, the league has to wait for Kai, because if they don't then they are showing they are racist to filipinos!

Remember only buddy can see "greatness" that others don't! That includes NBA coaches, player agents and GMs. I believe in him.

[Kaireem]

note that nba rookies who debuted at age 27 and above were actually superstars in other pro leagues and that the delay was not entirely because they were late bloomers or had to develop first. in most cases it was because these players had huge contracts that are way beyond the allowed buyout terms for nba teams. that's why pablo p had to wait till he was 35 years old to get to the nba.

oh and i honestly don't get the wait till 27 or 28 argument, logic dictates that the lesser risk timing to sign kai is "now" since his valuation is still low (being an undrafted player) plus he's relatively young enough to be molded and developed by an nba team. a 27-28 year old veteran would have more power to ask for not only a guaranteed contract but one that has higher monetary value.

in the end its really just about the talent - the nba couldn't care less if you're from timbuktu, myanmar, whatever letter of the alphabet you identify with, a knucklehead, an addict, a racist, a wannabe thug, a criminal etc. as long as you can play well enough to justify the excess baggage that comes with you, they will sign you to a contract.

[thatweirdguy]

What part of Kai's game would translate to the NBA? Honest question. I couldn't think of anything he's particularly great at aside from allegedly being 7'4 now

[Kaireem]

What part of Kai's game would translate to the NBA? Honest question. I couldn't think of anything he's particularly great at aside from allegedly being 7'4 now

that's the thing, looking at his game objectively you can argue that he can be handy on offense - but the problem is his shortcomings on the defensive end far outweighs whatever contributions you'll get from him on offense. look, he can be a good mid range scorer from a pick and roll but since he practically gives up an open 3 on the other end then his coach now has a dilemma.

i also don't buy that since wemby and chet are playing well that all the teams are now scrambling for bigs - ergo kai will be in demand - to throw at them argument. first of all wemby and chet are still rookies and second these guys are obvious exceptions to the norm - they are generational physical specimens.

and the grey elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge is that kai has been scouted to death since 2018 by nba and pro scouts - and its obvious based on how his career has progressed that the nba decision makers have made a final appraisal of what he can do. what he cant do and what he will improve or not improve on.

believe you me, if as early as 2018, 2019 or 2020 any nba decision maker felt convinced that kai is worth something he would've been drafted in 2022.

[TheRodster21]

that's the thing, looking at his game objectively you can argue that he can be handy on offense - but the problem is his shortcomings on the defensive end far outweighs whatever contributions you'll get from him on offense. look, he can be a good mid range scorer from a pick and roll but since he practically gives up an open 3 on the other end then his coach now has a dilemma.

i also don't buy that since wemby and chet are playing well that all the teams are now scrambling for bigs - ergo kai will be in demand - to throw at them argument. first of all wemby and chet are still rookies and second these guys are obvious exceptions to the norm - they are generational physical specimens.

and the grey elephant in the room that no one wants to acknowledge is that kai has been scouted to death since 2018 by nba and pro scouts - and its obvious based on how his career has progressed that the nba decision makers have made a final appraisal of what he can do. what he cant do and what he will improve or not improve on.

believe you me, if as early as 2018, 2019 or 2020 any nba decision maker felt convinced that kai is worth something he would've been drafted in 2022.

At an nba level yeah he’s not great, but I think he can be decent for FIBA. Objectively taking away expectations he wasn’t bad just decent in the recent WC just not worth whatever price tag if true, in the other fiba games he’s played he’s been solid. Still one of the best bigs in the country. I kind of give him benefit of doubt in the recent WC that he might have had some lingering pains from injury because he looked slower and out of shape than he usually is or during even his summer league stint.

[digitalsuperman]

What part of Kai's game would translate to the NBA? Honest question. I couldn't think of anything he's particularly great at aside from allegedly being 7'4 now

to be blunt, nothing. he has good skills, but not enough for NBA. maybe not enough for now.

[CoJ]

note that nba rookies who debuted at age 27 and above were actually superstars in other pro leagues and that the delay was not entirely because they were late bloomers or had to develop first. in most cases it was because these players had huge contracts that are way beyond the allowed buyout terms for nba teams. that's why pablo p had to wait till he was 35 years old to get to the nba.

oh and i honestly don't get the wait till 27 or 28 argument, logic dictates that the lesser risk timing to sign kai is "now" since his valuation is still low (being an undrafted player) plus he's relatively young enough to be molded and developed by an nba team. a 27-28 year old veteran would have more power to ask for not only a guaranteed contract but one that has higher monetary value.

in the end its really just about the talent - the nba couldn't care less if you're from timbuktu, myanmar, whatever letter of the alphabet you identify with, a knucklehead, an addict, a racist, a wannabe thug, a criminal etc. as long as you can play well enough to justify the excess baggage that comes with you, they will sign you to a contract.

Luis Scola and Arvydas Sabonis entered the league when they are past their primes due to their large overseas contracts and ridiculous buyout clauses. Whereas, Dejan Bodiroga didnt bother signing with a NBA team since he is earning more and has earned more in Europe.

True, if any team was interested in kai, he should have been signed when he was 19-20 yrs old and stashed in the gleague for development. Team Kai/EWP screwed up that G league ignite stint.

[CoJ]

At an nba level yeah he’s not great, but I think he can be decent for FIBA. Objectively taking away expectations he wasn’t bad just decent in the recent WC just not worth whatever price tag if true, in the other fiba games he’s played he’s been solid. Still one of the best bigs in the country. I kind of give him benefit of doubt in the recent WC that he might have had some lingering pains from injury because he looked slower and out of shape than he usually is or during even his summer league stint.

He's terribad/unusable in the world level (against top tier and mid tier teams like Italia and DR), but he's great against Asian level competition. Hope they can address this

[Kaireem]

Luis Scola and Arvydas Sabonis entered the league when they are past their primes due to their large overseas contracts and ridiculous buyout clauses. Whereas, Dejan Bodiroga didnt bother signing with a NBA team since he is earning more and has earned more in Europe.

True, if any team was interested in kai, he should have been signed when he was 19-20 yrs old and stashed in the gleague for development. Team Kai/EWP screwed up that G league ignite stint.

sabonis also was a victim of the "cold war" since he couldn't take it upon himself to defect to the us around 1984-1986, his injuries also set him back further before he decided to play in the nba.

manu ginobili played in the nba at age 25 right? but he was already a euro league mvp for vitrus bologna in 2001 and was a household name in his own right when he joined the spurs in 2002.

[CoJ]

sabonis also was a victim of the "cold war" since he couldn't take it upon himself to defect to the us around 1984-1986, his injuries also set him back further before he decided to play in the nba.

manu ginobili played in the nba at age 25 right? but he was already a euro league mvp for vitrus bologna in 2001 and was a household name in his own right when he joined the spurs in 2002.

yes ginobili was a household name by virtue of defeating team usa and leading argentina in the 2002 fiba worlds held at indianapolis. Plus by 2001-02 he already accumulated a lot of
honors and recognition in Europe and Latin America.


seems like Kai needs to be Yao Ming type presence for Gilas to be recognized again by scouts. prime yaonwas something, was able to lead china to the KO rounds from 2002 worlds to the 2008 beijing olympics

[greenarcher]

Achieving Yi Jianlian status is already miraculous for Kai.

[reamily]

yes ginobili was a household name by virtue of defeating team usa and leading argentina in the 2002 fiba worlds held at indianapolis. Plus by 2001-02 he already accumulated a lot of
honors and recognition in Europe and Latin America.


seems like Kai needs to be Yao Ming type presence for Gilas to be recognized again by scouts. prime yaonwas something, was able to lead china to the KO rounds from 2002 worlds to the 2008 beijing olympics

What a difference a decade makes back then all the achievements of yao ming are deemed as underachieving given hisstature as an all star..

[thatweirdguy]

to be blunt, nothing. he has good skills, but not enough for NBA. maybe not enough for now.

Are his current skills even enough for the G league , Euro League? His SL stint was really forgettable.

How would you guys grade his NBL stint?

[CoJ]

What a difference a decade makes back then all the achievements of yao ming are deemed as underachieving given hisstature as an all star..

yep yao and tmac one of the biggest what if’s, personally he underachieved given his all nba and all star staus, but at the asian level he is still untouchable