By CARLO ANOLIN
Team Ignite coach Brian Shaw saw the huge improvement Kai Sotto has shown since signing up in the NBA G League last May.
Towering over his opponents, the 18-year-old Sotto is learning how to utilize his 7-foot-2 height when making decisions on the court be it offensively or defensively.
“Kai’s been good. He’s getting stronger [and] he’s building his stamina,” said Shaw after Team Ignite’s 113-107 scrimmage loss to veteran members of the NBA G League Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).
“A lot of guys see him, ‘he’s tall, he’s lean.’ And you know, guys try to muscle him on the other end so he’s learning how to use his length, how to not get caught up to overly physical guys trying to take advantage in that way.”
The former Ateneo high school standout was only limited to five points, three coming from free throws and the lone field goal from a dunk.
But what caught the attention of Shaw was Sotto’s defensive prowess, backing it up with five rebounds and two blocks. That said, his next goal for sure is to make Sotto be more involved on the offensive end.
“When we have been able to get the ball into him inside, he’s been able to score, he’s gotten to the free-throw line,” added the three-time NBA champion. “He’s made his most impact to this point on the defensive end — changing shots, blocking shots, and rebounding the ball.”
Powering the squad of elite prospects were Congolese blue-chip recruit Jonathan Kuminga and Filipino-American Jalen Green, who combined for 48 points.
Kuminga led with 26 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one block while Green chalked up 22 markers and seven boards on a losing effort.
