FIBA ASIA Cup Qualifiers

[DenzelGreat8]

World-level teams are already struggling to contain Kai who is actually 6-8 years away from his prime. That's why I find it really funny when posters here were about to jump cliff when Kai wasn't drafted in the NBA. Dude is a generational talent in the Asia-Ocenia level with a natural feel for the game, high basketball IQ, extreme length, and decent athleticism. Kai will be a problem for years to come. All he needs to do is stay healthy and I would love him to have a FIBA career as long as Haddadi's.

Kaya nga the level of hate received by Kai during his summer leagues stint damn. On the Kai thread, I thought I read something that why can't he play like Mike Philipps. Kai can be frustrating some times but this guy is not a finished product and will only get better as long as he remains an overeager player.

[DenzelGreat8]

How can a 22 yr old 6-9 player stop a Kai Sotto? Kai is already too imposing against ex NBA players at their peak age.haha Harrison stats at the current NBL season is way better than Manenga.lol Reasons pamore. Wetzell was bbq chicken for Kai at 19 and he never played center on his teams. He was always their PF. Kai against wetzell at PF would be overkill.

If you are admitting that this is Flavell's team A, then who are you to question his choices?haha Nz should have picked you if your thinking was of value. This was the best NZ team as per Flavell and you lost to an incomplete Gilas. Again who is now the best big in Asia including Oceana? I still could remember that 36ers vs Suns game and Landale wasnt really having his way against Kai. Let them face Kai at this age.

What happened to Xavier Cooks against Kai in the JBL?lol Cooks was one of the NBL top players these days. Then si manenga lang ipangtatapat kay kai?haha asa pa buong NZ fanboys.haha

Baka ikaw na naman source ng scouting report ng NZ.haha kasi lagi silang sag sa labas sa mga BALDOG ng gilas na si Skati at sometimes kay newnew.haha

I mean lets not get too high and lambast the NZ. Mukhang it's true naman that they are missing their top players, the same can be said with Gilas too, I mean guys like QMB, Edu, Malonzo, Heading are close on the level of play of the players that NZ is missing.


Pero if ganyan ang usapan na team A, B, C etc.

Then 1-1 lang talaga ang standing vs NZ because of the previous matches we did not really bring our team A against them.

The last time they played fire for fire was in 2016 when NZ prevailed in OQT. I remember that Illi was just a reliever before to Tai Webster, and his main job was to harrassed Castro and Romeo. Funny now, that he is the missing piece and the main guy.

[Giannis34GOD]

There are many imports in Europe and NBL and all over thst are actually better than some NBA players, (guys on 2 ways and Rookie contacts) , making the NBA isn't all about who is better .

almosr all NbL next stars , like Sarr, Hampton, Dieng were all bench players, with teammates that are better , but are vets. Yet those next stars were drafted . Brownlee and RHJ are certainly better than some NBA players, but are unlikely to return to the NBA.

So personalities aside , making the NBA isn't about level of play purely, many other factors.

For a player like Kai hes certainly better thsn some NBA players, he however will fit better where he is showcase as he needs the ball and PT, perhaps a big Europe contact is a good fit , ($5 M a year)
a 2 way NBA development contract for a main guy not a role player may be unrealistic (its not aboit talent

I agree with this... That's why I don't care even we don't have a Filipino player playing in the NBA.. in Serbia, the fans their more celebrating their silver medal in Fiba world cup and Olympic bronze medal rather than Jokic's multiple NBA MVP achievements and his 2023 NBA championship...

[empyreanmaze]

That's what turns me off with the nba being more capitalistic than nationalistic especially in player stardom. I'm pretty sure if we produce the same player quality as Kai Sotto in football, he would be playing in Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. The Japanese knows how to navigate the profit-oriented system, Hachimura, Watanabe and Kawamura were in no way better players than the African and South American teenagers I see in fiba u18 tournaments, they had faith that they would ultimately be noticed if they eat enough scraps from the showrunners, pinoys and the least represented nationalities in the nba don't have that mentality.

[JAMSKIE]

The thing about New Zealand basketball is that it has a deep pool of talent that even if it will miss 3 or 4 regular fixtures of its national team for a particular tournament or qualifying window, the "replacements" are almost as good as the missing players. For instance in this 2nd window, NZ is missing 6-foot-9 big man Isaac Fotu but they got a Sam Waardenburg who is equally effective as Fotu. Or for instance NZ misses 6-1 guard Shea Ili in this window, but they got a 6-2 Corey Webster as replacement. Webster may even turn out as more productive offensively than Shea Ili.

I'm very satisfied that we have finally beaten NZ after being tormented by them for quite some time.

[empyreanmaze]

This NZ team is basically a Japanese team with a Middle Eastern level point guard in Corey Webster(Arakji) instead of an nba level sf like Hachimura. Taylor Britt is a Yuki Kawamura and they have 2 Yuta Watanabe type cone players in Vodanovich and Waardenburg.

[JAMSKIE]

Did I hear it right from the New Zealand head coach describing Gilas as playing physical against his NZ team? I think that's very positive development. I really want our team to be very physical. Physical but not dirty. We would need such physicality against Middle East teams, NZ & Australia. We can also use such physicality to stymie finesse teams like Japan, Taiwan & even China.

[deku_midoriya]

Did I hear it right from the New Zealand head coach describing Gilas as playing physical against his NZ team? I think that's very positive development. I really want our team to be very physical. Physical but not dirty. We would need such physicality against Middle East teams, NZ & Australia. We can also use such physicality to stymie finesse teams like Japan, Taiwan & even China.

Big, physical and structured.

That's what NZ coach said.

You would never hear that being described to Gilas before

[OverratedTabBaldwin]

Kaya nga the level of hate received by Kai during his summer leagues stint damn. On the Kai thread, I thought I read something that why can't he play like Mike Philipps. Kai can be frustrating some times but this guy is not a finished product and will only get better as long as he remains an overeager player.

The average Filipino basketball fan is NBA-centric. But realistically, the gap between the best NBA players and top Eurro players is very small. Heck, the top 3 NBA players today are Euros: Jokic, Giannis, and Luka. The US had to send a hall-of-fame cast in this year's Olympics just to beat a French team with no point guards and a very talented but not yet prime Wemby. The US knows that if they don't send their very best, they are cooked. Kai is borderline NBA talent at least and he will be NBA caliber when he reaches his prime whether or not an NBA team signs him.

[thatweirdguy]

I love that we showed toughness at the end there and made some big plays. Kai can be our Haddadi even if he never makes a dent in the NBA.

Wow a lot of returning posters here. Welcome back guys

[ja.he]

Now, we can agree that Kai is something. NBA or not, he is really good.

[PeeZones]

I mean lets not get too high and lambast the NZ. Mukhang it's true naman that they are missing their top players, the same can be said with Gilas too, I mean guys like QMB, Edu, Malonzo, Heading are close on the level of play of the players that NZ is missing.


Pero if ganyan ang usapan na team A, B, C etc.

Then 1-1 lang talaga ang standing vs NZ because of the previous matches we did not really bring our team A against them.

The last time they played fire for fire was in 2016 when NZ prevailed in OQT. I remember that Illi was just a reliever before to Tai Webster, and his main job was to harrassed Castro and Romeo. Funny now, that he is the missing piece and the main guy.

Im in no way belittling the current Nz squad. Im just annoyed that they are trying to insist that it is not NZ team A. This win by Gilas wasnt a fluke and was against their main NT. No amount of reinforcement would make a difference. Waddy is their best pf and you cant replace that with either Wetzell or Fotu. The only player who would be a significant contributor or a game changer would be Adams.

This Nz team is way stronger than their previous ones. Im on the edge of my seat watching the game yesterday and would have been more confident if Aj was playing.

[PeeZones]

The NBA has become overly focused on being "woke," which has led to a softer, less intense game. Since the era of Shaq and Tim Duncan, the league's mentality has shifted in ways that undermine the effectiveness of big men and purposely downplay the value of strong, physical players. It's the only major league in the world that has taken such a direction. Meanwhile, FIBA games are far more exciting, filled with intensity and drama, whereas the NBA often feels like a glorified scrimmage. The rules make it incredibly difficult for defense to be effective, and this has contributed to the decline of elite big men in the U.S. today

[mathematicianrcg]

Now, we can agree that Kai is something. NBA or not, he is really good.

He is a generational Asian Player.

Actually, if we remove Australia and New Zealand. As in pure Asia countries only

I think Kai is the Second best Local Asian Player in Fiba Asia behind Rui Hachimura (Excluding Imports and Nba players of Australia and New Zealand)

[lem0nadi]

Curious if any NBL teams will have an interest again on Kai right after he dominate those NBL bigs especially Waardenberg who's having a 15PPG, 3APG, 7RPG in NBL and also a starting center.

If given a chance, I want him to be back in NBL given that he will get the minutes he deserve. But if it will be like that Adelaide career, I think no need lol.