He has trimmed down, evolved as a perimeter shooter (38% from 3), expanded his playmaking off the dribble, become an asset in switch situations and developed into a true defensive anchor for the Buckeyes thanks to his stellar timing and nonstop motor. Stay on current site or go to US version. Kai Sotto will be hoping to make it in the big time after declaring for the NBA draft on Thursday. Grading Kai Sotto: How the Philippines' prospect's offense stacks up in the 2022 NBA draft Skip to main content Skip to navigation Full Scoreboard > ESPN Search You have come to the Philippines Edition, for other ESPN editions, click here. Foul trouble and turnovers have been an issue at times this season, exposing his youth and lack of experience. Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto declares for 2022 NBA draft in hopes of fulfilling "ultimate dream". ", Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto's defense and experience may put him behind other international prospects. 11 Rutgers | Wednesday | 9:10 p.m. | truTV, What to watch for: Wesley is a dynamic shot-creating guard who burst onto the scene as a surprise one-and-done and has piqued the interest of NBA scouts with his ability to go get a bucket off the dribble like few guards, sharing some similarities to a guard such as James Bouknight at the same stage. Sotto averaged 11.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting along with 4.2 boards and 1.2 swats while breaching double-digit scoring in three of those contests. ", Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Grading Sotto: How the Philippines' prospect's offense stacks up in the 2022 NBA draft. Sotto averaged 11.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting along with 4.2 boards and 1.2 swats while breaching double-digit scoring in three of those contests. "I remember I really liked his passing for a big man but his body was a big problem. But there is belief Sotto can build around those figures in order to raise his ceiling and find a place on offense in the modern NBA. Drew Timme | Junior | Gonzaga | 6'10" | PF/C | Age: 21.5, Andrew Nembhard | Senior | Gonzaga | 6'4" | PG | Age: 22.1, Zach Edey | Sophomore | Purdue | 7'4" | C | Age: 19.8, Jaylin Williams | Sophomore | Arkansas | 6'10" | C | Age: 19.7, When: No. Casey Holdahl. In the eyes of these experts, Sotto lags behind his fellow international draft prospects and might have to wait a bit before being able to get a shot at playing in the NBA. On to. Sotto was eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft because he is a 19-year-old talent one year removed from playing high school basketball. ", Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto's defense and experience may put him behind other international prospects. If not, is he a skilled enough shooter, passer and ball handler to be an asset on the perimeter? "He has the type of movement that allows him to find himself an open lane for big-time dunks and create open shots for himself.". His play can open up an opportunity for a two-way contract later down the road. In honor of March Madness, ESPN's NBA draft experts Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have complied a mock draft with just players participating in the NCAA tournament. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Kai Sotto will be hoping to make it in the big time after declaring for the NBA draft on Thursday.. His decision to make the NBA jump despite having two more years left on his Adelaide contract (with a team option on the final year) did not come as a surprise to the 36ers. Governors' Cup Power Rankings: Is NorthPort's rise real? 2 Duke vs. No. "Further growth as a passer as he matures and the games slows down for him will also be extremely helpful, as he has shown a certain level of vision at previous levels of play.". Editor's Picks. -- Schmitz, Jeremy Sochan | Freshman | Baylor | 6'9" | PF | Age: 18.8, When: No. . "I imagine Sotto goes undrafted, but even if he [isn't] picked up, he still has two years on his contract with the Adelaide 36ers, and the NBL is an excellent environment for giving Kai the resources and opportunity to further develop and work towards bigger opportunities.". I think it would be even worse and he would struggle a fair bit against stronger post players. More mobile than overly quick or explosive, he'll have to rely more on skill than vertical pop in the NBA, making it that much more important that he is at least a threat from 3 to open up the rest of his game. In 24 games, he shot 49.6% from the floor, 35.7% from 3-point range and 68.1% from the free throw line -- numbers that have drawn polarizing opinions from those who have followed Sotto's journey with close interest. The highest-ranked prospect, 6-foot-10 French center Ousmane Dieng who is projected by ESPN to be selected 11th overall in the next NBA Draft, is norming just 4.83 points and 2.33 rebounds for the . "[But] it is generally only justifiable to play a seven-footer on an NBA floor if they're being heavily utilized on the offensive end, and whilst Sotto has shown utility as a finisher and lob threat at the NBL level, a clear cut offensive skill will go a long way into making him a useful NBA player.". 1, a loaded LPGA field and more to watch in golf this week, How to watch PGA Tour's Arnold Palmer Invitational on ESPN+, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, Everything you need to know about F1's 2023 season, F1 season preview: Who's hot and who's not, Breaking down the latest in 2024 football recruiting, from top commits to March visits, Oral history: When Barcelona, Real Madrid played four Clasicos in 18 days back in 2011, LIVE Transfer Talk: Gvardiol, Bellingham named Real Madrid's top transfer targets, The Chet Holmgren 'problem' is he's a one-of-a-kind NBA prospect. Photo from Adelaide 36ers. He's an active offensive rebounder and a defensive playmaker. 13 Chattanooga | Friday | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, Jahvon Quinerly | Junior | Alabama | 6'1" | PG | Age: 23.2, Caleb Love | Sophomore | North Carolina | 6'4" | SG | Age: 20.4, 57. Las Pias, Philippines . Scouts will surely be hoping for a deep run from Duke and Gonzaga, as that would set up a Banchero-Holmgren rematch in the Elite 8. "Having this opportunity to develop in the NBL is a great situation for Kai and I'd imagine he spends the next year or two in Australia as he continues to find his footing in the world of professional basketball," Smith explained. Portland Trail Blazers (from Grizzlies), Gabe Brown | Senior | Michigan St. | 6'8" | SF | Age: 22.0, Hyunjung Lee | Junior | Davidson | 6'7" | SG/SF | Age: 21.3. If he can continue to improve his hands and strength offensively, whilst refining a basic but effective post game to penalize smaller lineups, then Sotto has a legitimate role offensively," Houben said. He's an outstanding rebounder, Kansas' best rim-protector, and is converting 38% of his 3-pointers, making him one of the more versatile wing players in this class. Liddell | Junior | Ohio St. | 6'7" | PF | Age: 21.2, When: No. Kessler has had some issues dealing with physicality at times this season and has some limitations offensively for what NBA teams expect from a modern big man in terms of a shooting range that suppresses his upside to a degree -- all while, simultaneously, questions persist about the value of drafting centers in the first round.-- Givony, JD Davison goes behind his back for the absolute dime, Kennedy Chandler | Freshman | Tennessee | 6'1" | PG | Age: 19.4, When: No. May 9, 2022 1:40 pm ET. Chet Holmgren | Freshman | Gonzaga | 7-foot-1 | PF | Age: 19.8, 14.2 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, 3.6 blocks per game, 1.8 assists per game, When: No. Sotto posted up a lot -- about 19.3 percent of his offense came from the block, per InStat, which was the second-highest figure from his portfolio -- but Adelaide only scored 0.68 PPP during those trips, well below the league average of 0.89. His shooting stroke was apparent at times, but Sotto did not take enough 3s and attempted just 14 shots from beyond the arc through 24 games, including just four from the corners. Hell have to develop his lower body strength and work on his agility and foot-speed to be able to defend at the next level. He's a powerhouse of a forward who should contribute right away. However, he decided to forgo his college eligibility and join the NBA G League Ignite. He was part of the initial 33-man list of such prospects, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony: This "also-eligible" list (33 players) includes: Dominick Barlow, Marjon Beauchamp, Dyson Daniels, Michael Foster, Jaden Hardy, Jean Montero, Kok Yat and Fanbo Zeng. Ellis has been streaky with his shooting against better competition this season, and scouts will want to get a better feel for his ball-handling and decision-making, which has looked questionable at times.-- Givony, Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Junior | UCLA | 6'6" | SG | Age: 21.0, When: No. F1 Olympic Sports Athletics Cycling Golf Tennis NCAAF NHL X Games Rugby WWE Basketball Home PBA Schedule Harper's thick, doughy frame has always been a concern dating back early in his career, and it's been disappointing to see him fail to get in better shape, something teams will certainly want to see him do in the pre-draft process. -- Givony, Trevion Williams | Senior | Purdue | 6'10" | C | Age: 21.4. Auburn's Walker Kessler does it all with a steal and a beautiful slam dunk to start off the game against South Carolina. He's easy to get along with, loves joking, and doesn't back away from challenges. "Continuing to find ways to maximize the value he gets out of his physical tools while he continues to work on improving the processing and shooting seems to be the current path for Kai," Smith offered. There are only four sub-6-foot-1 guards who play at least 15 minutes per game in the NBA this season, meaning Chandler will have to be viewed as a special talent to warrant a high draft pick. Andrew Gaze and Nat Edwards breakdown 218cm Kai Sotto's impact on the Adelaide 36ers, areas of improvement and future prospects. Eason's passing ability, decision-making and still-streaky jumper are question marks scouts will want to gather more information about in the NCAA tournament, as he sees most of his minutes at center but isn't particularly big or bulky at 6-foot-8 and 216 pounds. "[But] it is generally only justifiable to play a seven-footer on an NBA floor if they're being heavily utilized on the offensive end, and whilst Sotto has shown utility as a finisher and lob threat at the NBL level, a clear cut offensive skill will go a long way into making him a useful NBA player.". 16 Texas-Southern/Texas A&M-CC| Thursday | 9:57 p.m. | truTV, What to watch for: Braun plays up to four positions for Kansas, switching seamlessly on the perimeter, putting a body on big men in the post and doing quite a bit of facilitation in the half-court. Kai Sotto's hope of realizing a nation's NBA dreams depends on whether the league will favor potential over results. Not always the most vocal leader, scouts will be studying how Chandler takes command of the team in key moments throughout the NCAA tournament. Here are some more mocks to check out: NBA MOCK DRAFTS: Older Mocks 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026, Remember to bookmark and add to your home-screen, 5-Star Corner: Patrick Baldwin Jr. Interview, A Closer Look At Bronny James as a NBA Draft Prospect, Talented Sons of Famous NBA Fathers Part 2, Thoughts On How The 2022 NBA Draft Played Out, The 10 Top Freshman in High School Basketball, Draft Buzz: Freshmen Ballers Off To A Fast Start, State of the 2023 NBA Draft An Early Look, The Elite 25 The Top Pro Prospects In High School Basketball, 2026 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings (2025 recruiting class), Victor Wembanyamas Physical Profile and NBA Comparisons, The 10 Top Freshmen In High School Basketball Class of 2026 Recruits, Re-Draft of the 2022 NBA Draft, Top 20 2 Months Into The Season, My Guys Prospects Im Irrationally High On In The 2023 Draft, 2023 NBA Draft Big Board Early Season Edition, Upperclassmen Moving Up The Draft Board The Desmond Bane Effect, The Elite 25 The Top NBA Prospects In High School Basketball Fall 2022, April 13-16 The 2022 Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, June 1 Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline (NCAA deadline). Still, there's a near consensus that he still has a lot of work to do before becoming a no-brainer pick for a spot on an NBA roster. (2:08). Can Liddell score efficiently against NBA-caliber rim protectors? 1 overall pick in this year's lottery via the Draft. How Oftana and Lastimosa went from Dumaguete dreamers to Gilas, Already a standout walk-on, La Salle's Ben Phillips looks to make his mark on another court, 'It's a fans' game': Tiongson, Ahanmisi move on from All-Star snubs, The seven biggest 2023 PBA All-Star omissions, and the players who took their spots, A night of nostalgia: Toyota Tamaraws celebrate 50th anniversary, Kai Sotto's second season mirrors 36ers' ups and down. -- Givony. 4 UCLA vs. No. Williams came out of North Carolina with an elevated level of expectations, so much so that the Broncos moved up in the NFL draft to land him in the second round. When Lewis is at his best, it's easy to see him filling a role in the NBA pick-and-pop 4 -man who can even slide up to the small-ball 5 some given his strength and length. He's a disruptive defender, as well, thanks to his quickness, instincts and 6-foot-5 wingspan that has allowed him to rip opposing guards on the perimeter, swipe the ball on digs and even block occasional jumpers as a key cog in Tennessee's top-three defense. "There's no doubt that Sotto is a skilled big man -- his touch, particularly on short floaters, stood out as a skill he can use to get points around the rim, and he had some fun moments as a lob threat as well. As the NBA draft draws closer, some teams have shown an increasing interest in Sotto's potential. With rival Asian leagues circling, is the five-year college player a thing of the past in the Philippines? What to watch for: Smith has emerged as one of the most dynamic shooters in college, converting 43% of his 3-pointers despite standing 6-foot-10. 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