Shaw surprised, but supportive of Kai Sotto’s planned Gilas return

NBA G League Ignite head coach Brian Shaw admitted on Friday, December 18 that he was surprised with his ward Kai Sotto’s decision to recommit to Gilas Pilipinas for the February window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

“That’s news to me. I haven’t heard that yet,” he said in an online press conference. “That’s a good thing if he wants to play and represent his country and try to help them qualify for the upcoming international events.”

“As much basketball as Kai is going to play, that’s going to benefit him,” he continued.

The 18-year-old Sotto again saw limited minutes in Ignite’s 99-125 blowout loss on Friday against G League veterans, but still managed to churn out 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block.

Shaw, however, reiterated the importance of NBA-level training for young players like the 7-foot-2 Filipino prospect.

“I still believe that the competition he will be playing here in the bubble will be better competition than what he will be playing there,” he said. “That’s the decision he will make and we will have to live with.”

As of now, there are reports of a G League bubble set to be held in Atlanta, Georgia, but nothing is set in stone yet, as affiliated teams are either opting out or considering mergers with other squads.

One option for the forthcoming NBA G League season that has gained some traction, sources say, is a bubble concept in the Atlanta area that would cost NBA teams an entry fee in the $500,000 range

Not all 28 G League teams, under that proposal, would be expected to participate

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 27, 2020

Sources: The Heat, Lakers and Pistons are among the teams to indicate plans of not participating in the proposed NBA G League bubble, with discussions still ongoing about the structure of a season. https://t.co/zNh77lAMIu

— JD Shaw (@JShawNBA) December 6, 2020

Meanwhile, the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers is set to go in the Clark bubble in Pampanga, barring any virus-related setbacks.

Regardless of what happens next, and where Sotto ends up playing by February, Shaw still heaped praises with a touch of constructive criticism on one of the Philippines’ brightest young stars.

“He doesn’t get as many touches as everyone does but you can see his skill set, his IQ, he does a lot of good things out there on the court,” Shaw said. “You can’t really judge him by how many points he gets here and there.”

“He is getting stronger and getting better understanding. He’s improving and I’m really, really impressed with his skill set for a guy his size,” he continued.

For now, Sotto will absorb all the knowledge he can get, as he is currently training with established NBA role players like veteran forward Amir Johnson and NBA champion guard Jeremy Lin. – Rappler.com