Odd man out: Kai Sotto loses minutes to foul trouble, excellent Fajardo, Edu outings

BULACAN, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas’ hyped front court was as good as advertised despite falling short in its 2023 FIBA World Cup debut against favored Dominican Republic before a huge home crowd at the packed Philippine Arena on Friday, August 25.

Six-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo held his own against NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns with 16 points on a perfect 5-of-5 clip to go with 7 rebounds in just 24 minutes, while prospect AJ Edu scattered 7 points on 3-of-3 shooting, 5 boards, and 2 blocks in 26 minutes.

Lost in the shuffle, however, was NBA aspirant Kai Sotto, who logged just 1 minute and 13 seconds of first-quarter action off the bench with 1 block, 2 fouls, and no other stats.

Asked to explain the rotation after the heartbreaking 87-81 loss, Gilas head coach Chot Reyes said that it was a situational byproduct of the game and nothing more.

“Kai picked up two quick fouls, so we had to get him out right away,” he said. “We couldn’t put him back in because [AJ Edu] was playing a great game, and that’s the reason why he’s here [in the press conference], right? He was playing really, really well.”

“If we get him in, then the other guy I have to sit is a guy named June Mar Fajardo, who had 16 points in 28 minutes. I’m sure a lot of people are going to wonder why, but between sitting AJ and June Mar, there was just no opportunity, and the matchups just didn’t favor Kai.”

Although Towns still collected 26 points and 10 rebounds in just 24 minutes, Edu, Fajardo, and essentially the rest of Gilas made the Minnesota Timberwolves anchor work for every touch, as he also finished with a just 5-of-16 clip and a staggering 15-of-16 from the line.

While it was not the World Cup debut that Sotto had envisioned, he will have two more huge opportunities to bounce back in the group phase against Angola on Sunday, August 27, and Italy on Tuesday, August 29.

There, Sotto’s mettle and control on the court will again be tested as Angola boasts NBA bruiser Bruno Fernando, while Italy leans on former NBA stretch big Nicolo Melli. – Rappler.com