For Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach Norman Black, Kai Sotto still has a lot of fine-tuning to do on his game as he works to become the first homegrown Filipino to reach the NBA.
A former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons, Black said the 7-foot-3 Sotto needs to develop his strength and refine his shooting for him to be able to hold his own in the premier league.
“I’m not sure whether he is ready for the NBA at this moment. I think he still has to improve more,” Black said in the Power and Play with Noli Eala program of Radyo Singko.
“I think he has to become a little bit more powerful around the basketball. It is either he has to become more powerful around the basketball or he has to really perfect his three-point shot.”
“He is going to be out there stretching the floor like (Kristaps) Porzingis or somebody along those lines who can consistently hit the three or he has to be able to hold his own better underneath the basket. One or the other.”
But Black also noted the huge strides Sotto made since deciding to train in the United States to chase his NBA dream.
The 63-year-old mentor witnessed up close how Sotto played when he joined the national team in February in its preparations for the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
“Definitely Kai has improved a lot,” Black said.
“From his high school days at Ateneo up to this point, he has become a much stronger, a much more aggressive player. I was really impressed with him in the practices.”
In fact, Black said the 18-year-old Sotto has what it takes to make Gilas Pilipinas a force to be reckoned with in the Asian level.
“Here in the Philippines, for the national team, he would be a great help. I hope he could join the team. He will give us a really good chance of being a powerhouse in this part of the world,” Black said.
“At this level in Asia, he would be a difficult player to deal with. And he is only going to get better.”
Sotto is expected to mature further as he goes up against the best professional players in Australia after signing with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League. – Rappler.com
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