A GILAS Pilipinas without Kai Sotto is like a San Miguel team without June Mar Fajardo.
That’s the similarity coach Tim Cone sees between the two squads, especially with the Philippine national team still reeling from losing the 7-foot-3 Sotto to an ACL injury early this year.
Sotto is still recovering and his timeframe ffor a return isn’t on the table at least until January.
READ: Cone not taking Guam lightly in Gilas' first game in World Cup qualifiers
That means the 23-year-old center will be missing the first two games of Gilas against Guam in the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers, including the opening window on Friday at the University of Guam Calvo Field House.
“I used June Mar as an example. When June Mar plays for San Miguel, they are an incredible team. How many All-Filipino championships have they won? And forgive me, Cjay [Perez], when June Mar doesn’t play, they’re (Beermen) still a very good team, but they’re not the same,” said Cone.
“And I really feel that about us with Kai. I think with Kai, we jumped into different levels. And without him, we’re still a really good team, but we’re so much better when we have Kai.”
Kai's impact
With Sotto manning the middle for the Filipinos, the national team made strides in major international campaigns.
They stunned then-No. 6 Latvia during the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga last year, 89-80, and likewise scored a first-ever win over New Zealand, 93-89, during the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
But Gilas was left without its best big man the moment Sotto went down with the ACL injury while playing for Koshigaya Alphas in the Japan B.League last January.
Although still competitive, the Sotto-less Philippines could only reach the quarterfinals of the Asia Cup tournament proper, where it lost to Australia, 84-60.
“So I personally am looking forward to having him (Sotto) back next year and see where we can go with this program with him,” said Cone.
Though still in the process of recovery, Sotto showed he remains one with Gilas, as he travelled with them to Guam for Friday’s first window of the qualifiers.
“This is not something that is easy for him, that’s light for him. And that makes it even special for us that he’s going to make that effort and go,” said Cone of Sotto.
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