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    COLUMN: Kai Sotto isn't NBA-ready, yet, and that's perfectly fine

    Trust the process
    Dec 6, 2021
    Kai Sotto is waiting for his knee to heal before making his NBL debut.
    Kai Sotto is waiting for his knee to heal before making his NBL debut.
    PHOTO: Adelaide 36ers IG Page
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    WE'VE been in this position before, right?

    Kai Sotto, the anointed great Filipino hope, embarks on a new chapter in his career as he plays for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League (NBL) in Australia.

    Understandably so, every Pinoy is excited to tune in - either through streaming services or illegal streams, however you can get it - just to see a glimpse of the wunderkind strutting his stuff Down Under.

    The NBL is also anticipating this deluge of new interest as the league seeks to capitalize on this market, the same way the Japan B.League has ridden on the influx of young Filipino talent to lure an army of new fans.

    But here's a fair reminder to everyone: as much as this is looked at as Sotto's stepping stone to his NBA dream, it's better to temper your expectations.

    The hype is not surprising. He's after all the first Filipino to suit up in Australia's professional basketball league, hopefully on the way to becoming the first homegrown Pinoy to be drafted in the NBA, whenever that may be.

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      Better listen to Adelaide coach CJ Bruton, who reminds everybody who cares to listen that grooming the 19-year-old to be the best player he can be is a process.

      "It’s just Kai being the best player he can be at this point in time, and to continue to work on his body and his skills, and understanding our system itself and on the floor," said the Sixers' new head coach.

      Sotto has made great strides in building up his body, but he's still far from the heft that his dad Ervin had when he was in the PBA. That has been the biggest issue when it comes to Kai making the leap to the NBA dream. Still is.

      Of course, you could argue that players of the same built - think of maybe Aleksej Pokusevski of the Oklahoma City Thunder - found a way to thrive in the NBA despite their skinny body. But here's a brutally frank assessment: Kai's talent is still far from those players. It's probably the reason why he's still not in the projected Top 60 for the 2022 NBA Draft, if he chooses to join of course.

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      And there's nothing wrong with that.

      If there's any consolation, the NBL is built to help him develop most of the skillsets where he is weakest. And he's in it for the long haul, inking a multi-year deal that would keep him there for at least two years.

      Adelaide is committed to helping him develop his game to be able to make the leap to the NBA, and Bruton himself is a fan, assuring Filipinos that Sotto will be well taken care of during his entire stay in Australia.

      Of course, playing time won't be assured, and there are instances just like what was done in the NBL Blitz preseason games that Sotto will have to ride the pine. But rather than mope, it provides Sotto a chance to learn from his more experienced peers and continuously prove himself in practices, hopeful that it would lead to more minutes on the floor and less on the bench.

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      It's a question all of us fans of Kai should ask ourselves: would we rather see Sotto play on the court prepared and be at his best? Or do we want to see him thrown into the wolves' lair and play by himself, team success be damned?

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        Remember, basketball is a five-on-five game and Adelaide is there to compete for the championship, not just to babysit Sotto. And the same mentality goes if he makes it to the NBA.

        Fears from fans that Sotto is doomed to replicate his uneventful stint with the NBA G League Ignite team, where he didn't just fall off of the rotation but fell off the radar entirely, are also understandable.

        But this situation is entirely different as Sotto is already in Australia to begin with and not torn between serving his club over his country.

        So as we wait for Sotto's knee injury to heal so he can make his NBL debut, let's all be a little more patient. There's a reason why his handlers entrusted his next few years in Adelaide and let's all pray they're right.

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        Rome wasn't built in a day, as they love to say, and Kai sure as hell won't play in the NBA tomorrow. Or next year. But he's bound to get there.

        As they say in Philadelphia, trust the process.

        Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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        Kai Sotto is waiting for his knee to heal before making his NBL debut.
        PHOTO: Adelaide 36ers IG Page
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