Kai Sotto Thread

[CoJ]

Would he had a better chance if just stayed in the NBL? Or actually played with IGNITE even if he had gotten limited minutes? Or played D1 basketball? Or spend the offseason really getting into basketball shape. Feels like his management took a lot of shortcuts along the way.

Best chance was ignite since he’s within the nba radar but it is a downgrade in terms of pay

Family went for the money which i respect, nba is no guarantee and they have a small window to earn

too bad kai was a year early before NIL was implemented, though i doubt they will still pursue the ncaa route since they are keen on getting the bag as early as possible

[thatweirdguy]

Yup, unless he goes the Kobe route and get tired of playing basketball altogether

he might not make it to the nba but he’ll get good money in asia. If the family is serious about the nba dream they should have started early and spend so much money so Kai to get into the AAU circuit or those prep schools for teens

Would he had a better chance if just stayed in the NBL? Or actually played with IGNITE even if he had gotten limited minutes? Or played D1 basketball? Or spend the offseason really getting into basketball shape. Feels like his management took a lot of shortcuts along the way.

[CoJ]

Look at the future from kai's point of view. He can make good money in japan for at least four more years. Then, he can move on to the pba where he can have fajardo's high pay and extra benefits for at least ten more years. I doubt the pba will have a good local 7footer who can make kai look bad when he is 25-37 years old. He will literally be the biggest fish in the small pond called the pba.

Posters can post whatever they want, but kai is on track to post a lot more money even than the celebrated, very successful fajardo.

Yup, unless he goes the Kobe route and get tired of playing basketball altogether

he might not make it to the nba but he’ll get good money in asia. If the family is serious about the nba dream they should have started early and spend so much money so Kai to get into the AAU circuit or those prep schools for teens

[Metta]

At the end of the day, the NBA will always be a very difficult league to get into.

Kai did everything he could. Like did our last seven footers ever make an impact at 22 years old?

EJ Feihl

Greg Slaughter

Neither have made a lasting impression.

Kai set the benchmark and any future seven-footer in this country can only follow suit.

Considering that compared to those who make it to the nba, Kai is a bit late in terms of starting serious training (Those who make it play a sport way before 10 while he started at around 14).

Feihl, Slaughter and all our other stiffs started even much, much later. Some even past 18 when their bodies and brain wiring are done developing.

It's like learning a language, when you're past a certain age, you can never really master a new one.

[sroth3839]

Look at the future from kai's point of view. He can make good money in japan for at least four more years. Then, he can move on to the pba where he can have fajardo's high pay and extra benefits for at least ten more years. I doubt the pba will have a good local 7footer who can make kai look bad when he is 25-37 years old. He will literally be the biggest fish in the small pond called the pba.

Posters can post whatever they want, but kai is on track to post a lot more money even than the celebrated, very successful fajardo.

At the end of the day, the NBA will always be a very difficult league to get into.

Kai did everything he could. Like did our last seven footers ever make an impact at 22 years old?

EJ Feihl

Greg Slaughter

Neither have made a lasting impression.

Kai set the benchmark and any future seven-footer in this country can only follow suit.

[ccharmed]

Look at the future from kai's point of view. He can make good money in japan for at least four more years. Then, he can move on to the pba where he can have fajardo's high pay and extra benefits for at least ten more years. I doubt the pba will have a good local 7footer who can make kai look bad when he is 25-37 years old. He will literally be the biggest fish in the small pond called the pba.

Posters can post whatever they want, but kai is on track to post a lot more money even than the celebrated, very successful fajardo.

[paolylo]

Kawamura paved the way already by doing the BLeague to NBA transition, I know he did get also scouted in the Olympics but those games are not enough so them scouts pretty much saw him played in the BLeague. Kai just needs to dominate the BLeague for him to get a chance. He also with big agency with Wasserman so the only thing to do is for him to showcase his game.



EDIT: I just remembered the announcement of Yokohama that Kawamura will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Memphis Grizzlies was way earlier before the Olympics even started, so pretty much BLeague is getting recognition from the NBA scouts already.

Kawamura's contemporaries, apart from Sotto who's obviously the face of that generation, are Forthsky Padrigao, Terrence Fortea, and maybe even Gerry Abadiano... it could be the same argument comparing Jason Tatum to Paul Desiderio. Obviously a player has to be extremely talented to hang at higher levels, but what happens to a player after turning 18 years old here?

Kawamura was already in the B.League while playing college basketball because of that sporting club culture as opposed to those "franchise teams" where a player has to go through layers of bullshit before playing pro ball. All he had to do to commit full time was to leave school. That's development. If your U16 player is good enough to play U18, put him in the roster. If your U18 player is good enough to play pro, give him a chance. If a pro player shows massive potential at a very young age, put him on the national team.

As far back, I could only name: Kirby, Jayson Castro, Japeth, Kiefer, Ray Ray, Kobe, Kai, "Lebron" Lopez, Andy Gemao, and maybe Kiefer Alas who had/has that early pro potential. At the end of the day... our national U16/U18 programs are still trash, majority of elite college players would rather stay in school for 5 years than turn pro, and there are no guarantees if a young pro player here will be good enough if he played outside the country. It's a small pond of huge fishes that'll die if they don't have enough space to grow more.

[hmbopbaduwap]

Pre Season highlights: 20 pts. 9 reb. 2 ast 2 blks. vs. Utsunomiya Brex.

[lem0nadi]

But sabonis was a international legend who asdrafted a decade earlier, Kai on the other hand, is a meme for mainstream western fans. He needs to play in a competitive league for hin to get noticed. Not sure if the NBA scouts thibks highly of Asian Basketball.


Odds are against Kai, i do hope that he will have a significant leap as his nba window is closing

Kawamura paved the way already by doing the BLeague to NBA transition, I know he did get also scouted in the Olympics but those games are not enough so them scouts pretty much saw him played in the BLeague. Kai just needs to dominate the BLeague for him to get a chance. He also with big agency with Wasserman so the only thing to do is for him to showcase his game.



EDIT: I just remembered the announcement of Yokohama that Kawamura will be signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Memphis Grizzlies was way earlier before the Olympics even started, so pretty much BLeague is getting recognition from the NBA scouts already.

[CoJ]

At this point, the stars pretty much have to align to see Kai in the NBA. It's not impossible, but it would have to take a confluence of a lot of things... his drastic improvement, a team need, willing nba coaches, injury avoidance, etc.

For perspective, Arvydas Sabonis entered the nba at 30/31 yrs old. Also at that time, he was already ravaged by injuries that he was legally allowed to have a handicapped/disabled ID. But he still went on to play multiple productive years. That's a different era though where bigs didn't need to be mobile.

Also, if Kai does go against all odds and make it to the nba, will our fans be fine with him just being a benchwarmer? He can't be a project player anymore the older he gets, teams will expect him to contribute right away and not wait for him to develop. This happened to several top Euro players who didn't make a dent in the nba going in at an older age.

But sabonis was a international legend who asdrafted a decade earlier, Kai on the other hand, is a meme for mainstream western fans. He needs to play in a competitive league for hin to get noticed. Not sure if the NBA scouts thibks highly of Asian Basketball.


Odds are against Kai, i do hope that he will have a significant leap as his nba window is closing

[Metta]

At this point, the stars pretty much have to align to see Kai in the NBA. It's not impossible, but it would have to take a confluence of a lot of things... his drastic improvement, a team need, willing nba coaches, injury avoidance, etc.

For perspective, Arvydas Sabonis entered the nba at 30/31 yrs old. Also at that time, he was already ravaged by injuries that he was legally allowed to have a handicapped/disabled ID. But he still went on to play multiple productive years. That's a different era though where bigs didn't need to be mobile.

Also, if Kai does go against all odds and make it to the nba, will our fans be fine with him just being a benchwarmer? He can't be a project player anymore the older he gets, teams will expect him to contribute right away and not wait for him to develop. This happened to several top Euro players who didn't make a dent in the nba going in at an older age.

[sroth3839]

I think it is not the word you should say give up.. as sroth said Salah Meijri make it to the NBA 7 years after he was undrafted, then who knows.. for now, Kai should focus whatever opportunity given to him... If he is destined to be a NBA player then why not!!!

We mature much later than Africans or Whites. If Kai is still reliable by 27, then can he still be offered a one-year contract.

[Giannis34GOD]

If he won't make the NBA by 24, I say he should give up. By then, the pool for NBA-caliber bigs in the mold of a Chet Holmgren or even an Evan Mobley with way better perimeter defense and offensive skillset has increased. Damn those Africans.

I think it is not the word you should say give up.. as sroth said Salah Meijri make it to the NBA 7 years after he was undrafted, then who knows.. for now, Kai should focus whatever opportunity given to him... If he is destined to be a NBA player then why not!!!

[paolylo]

Salah Mejri, 7’1, was undrafted in 2008 but got signed by the Mavs in 2015.

Never say die.

If he won't make the NBA by 24, I say he should give up. By then, the pool for NBA-caliber bigs in the mold of a Chet Holmgren or even an Evan Mobley with way better perimeter defense and offensive skillset has increased. Damn those Africans.

[sroth3839]

Is Kai still an NBA prospect? He's getting older and there tons of bigmen prospects getting scouted every year

Salah Mejri, 7’1, was undrafted in 2008 but got signed by the Mavs in 2015.

Never say die.