By JONAS TERRADO
Japeth Aguilar urged Kai Sotto to patiently work on his game once he starts his foray with the NBA G-League Select Team.
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star, who had a short stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2012, said there’s no reason for Sotto to speed up his development, especially when plays against stronger, more-experienced players.
“Advice ko lang kay Kai is to just try to absorb lahat ng mga matututunan niya sa G-League,” Aguilar said during a recent Facebook live session of Aclan Sports Skills Factory.
“Just give it time kasi Kai’s very young, tapos yung mga kalaban niya sa G-League mga naglalaro na ng pro at developed na mga katawan. Just give it time and keep improving,” he added.
Aguilar was drafted in the seventh round by Santa Cruz in the 2012 NBA D-League Draft but got waived without ever playing a single game.
It was the second US stint for Aguilar, who played two seasons for Western Kentucky in the US NCAA.
The 6-foot-9 eventually returned to the Philippines, resuming his PBA stint with GlobalPort before being shipped to Ginebra in 2013.
Sotto’s upcoming stint in the G-League is seen as an opportunity to improve his chances of becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to play in the PBA.
“I always come across his videos on social media, very skilled na rin si Kai. For me, yung skill level niya, pang-professional na,” Aguilar said.
