2019 NBA champion Jeremy Lin believes all is not lost for Kai Sotto after the Philippine prospect missed out on being picked up in the 2022 NBA draft. He has taken some lumps in the Big Ten, struggling at times to create efficient offense and making some scouts ponder just how heavy of an offensive role he can shoulder at the NBA level, something that will surely be scrutinized in the NCAA tournament. One surprising stat: Sotto was also pretty good against ball-handlers in the pick and roll, where he defended a fourth-most 10.7 percent of the time. 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.. -- Givony, Keegan Murray | Sophomore | Iowa | 6'9" | PF/C | Age: 21.5, When: No. He's coachable and receptive to feedback from coaches and teammates," Chan said. On June 24, Facebook page "NBA World" uploaded a screenshot of a fake tweet from American sports reporter Shams Charania. He was part of the initial 33-man list of such prospects, per . Jay Bilas picks every single game in the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament. A day after Sotto declared for. Theodore Chan, Adelaide's scouting director, insists Adelaide benefited from having Sotto on the defensive end, where the center's aggression and willingness to mask his deficiencies served the 36ers (109.9 defensive rating, sixth among 10 teams) well at various points in the season. Kai Sotto's hope of realizing a nation's NBA dreams depends on whether the league will favor potential over results. Washington plays a relatively simple game, thriving off transition hit-aheads, spot 3s, closeout attacks, midrange pull-ups, floaters and occasional ball screens, for which he makes the right play more often than not. If nothing materializes there, an NBL return is always on the table, as he still has two more years (with the second a team option) on the original three-year deal he signed with Adelaide. -- Givony. In the first of our two-part series on 2022 NBA Draft hopeful Kai Sotto, ESPN talked to scouts and experts who cover Australia's National Basketball League about his decision to declare for the draft, . With rival Asian leagues circling, is the five-year college player a thing of the past in the Philippines? He is a streaky shooter who gets a lot of his offense in the post, on midrange pull-ups, in transition and while using his aggressiveness, physicality and smarts attacking out of the pick-and-roll. . "If Sotto can develop the things in his control, such as his strength, his awareness and his technique, he could grow into a strong rim protecting presence that could anchor an effective defense.". Branham, who will turn 19 in May, has developed into the model of consistency for Ohio State, as he has scored 15 points or more in seven of his past eight games, emerging as a potential top-20 prospect in the process. 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. 11 Michigan | Thursday | 12:15 p.m. | CBS, What to watch for: The Mountain West Conference player of the year, Roddy emerged as a potential All-American and one of the most versatile and unique college players as a junior. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Cavaliers via Wizards), Andre Jackson | Sophomore | Connecticut | 6'6" | SG/SF | Age: 20.3, When: 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. "With Kai's progression throughout the season, it was within expectation Kai would declare for the 2022 Draft. What to watch for: South Dakota State will be a popular upset pick in their opening round game against Providence, since the 30-4 Jackrabbits haven't lost in more than three months and will have the best pro prospect on the court in Scheierman. Breaking down the top prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft | NBA Today 229,202 views Feb 3, 2022 2K Dislike Share Save ESPN 8.61M subscribers Mike Schmitz joins NBA Today to discuss the. He's been somewhat streaky at times from beyond the arc, but has found more success as of late after hitting a midseason slump, while consistently doing all the little things his team needs to win games. What to watch for: The youngest player projected to be drafted, Duren has played some of his best basketball of the season as of late, helping Memphis surge into the postseason. What to watch for: Named second-team All-Big Ten, Harper carried Rutgers into the NCAA tournament with several heroic late game shots after a slow start to the season. Governors' Cup Power Rankings: Is NorthPort's rise real? 16 Norfolk State | Thursday | 2:00 p.m. | TBS. 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. International Stock Watch - 05/27/2022; 2022 NBA G . NBA draft scouts. 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. The biggest draft experts make every pick in the 2022 NBA Draft The Field Of 68 33K views Streamed 1 month ago Top 10 Center Prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft. So far, only Siegel has included the Filipino homegrown talent in his mock drafts with Sotto still missing the Top 60 lists for the June 24 proceedings (June 25, Manila time) in other reputable outlets like ESPN . The 20-year-old, 7'3 center played in 23 games for the 36ers this past season. He's a risk-taker like you'll see from an NBA big such as Alperen Sengun, throwing behind the back passes out of the post, trying to thread the needle on backdoor feeds and working to break down his man with a variety of different dribble moves, showcasing the type of shift you don't usually see from a player with his body type. For Kai who played his first pro season in the NBL, with some training with G League Ignite last season, I think he competed pretty well in a physical league," Chan observed. And Duke's Paolo Banchero is one of the Blue Devils' five first-round prospects who are hoping coach Mike Krzyzewski's legendary career ends by cutting down the net at the Final Four in New Orleans. 12 Indiana vs. No. What to watch for: We've truly never seen an NBA prospect quite like Holmgren: A shot-blocking, lob-catching, 3-point shooting, ballhandling 7-foot-1 "big man" with the fluidity of a guard and a relentlessness that doesn't match his slender, 195-pound frame. ESPN talked to some of these scouts and regional experts working and covering the NBL and asked them to weigh in on the prospect of Sotto becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. 1 Baylor vs. No. Smith, meanwhile, says the NBL is a great avenue for Kai to continue growing as a professional at this stage in his young career. Last week, the Orlando Magic were handed the No. He is at his best when keeping things simple, and he can be prone to huge swings of intensity and productivity on both ends of the floor, depending on the night and how well things are going early in games. While in high school at Ateneo de Manila in Quezon City, Philippines, Sotto led his team to a UAAP Basketball Championship title juniors division in 2018, The following year, he averaged 25.1 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and was named UAAP juniors MVP. Kai Sotto's NBA draft quest falls short as teams pass on the Filipino prospect You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. Data from InStat state that Adelaide hemorrhaged points when Sotto defended the roll man in the pick and roll (16 percent of his defensive possessions, second most) and gave up 1.37 PPP -- way above the league mean. Even. 15 CSU Fullerton | Friday | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |. -- Schmitz. 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. While he's comfortable operating with his back to the basket, he's also a creative ball-handler and outstanding passer who is converting 45% of his 3-pointers on the season, making him a huge mismatch that has lit up mid-major and high-major teams alike. Kai Sotto hasn't really been in a lot of 2022 NBA mock drafts. 16 Georgia State | Thursday | 4:15 p.m. | TNT. The age of most freshmen, outplaying potential lottery picks such as Baylor's Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan in a potential second-round matchup would help Lewis secure his standing as a first-round prospect. There's been plenty . (2:08). Banchero is the type of offensive talent who can take over a game, and doing so when it matters most would be a great way to remind NBA executives why he was once considered the early favorite for the No. Get all the latest news around the 2023 NBA Draft with Draftcast on ESPN. 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. 2 Duke vs. No. Croatia's Roko Prkacin tested the waters as an early entry candidate in the 2021 NBA draft but, presumably due to a lack of interest, opted to return for another year of basketball overseas. With legitimate guard skills that allow him to initiate Duke's offense in transition and function as a pick-and-roll ball handler in the half court, Banchero is a true mismatch nightmare, comparing favorably to post-injury Blake Griffin with his combination of power, agility and court vision. 05/11/02 (20.8 yrs) Hometown. The 19-year-old had a breakout game earlier this month with a career-high 21 points in the 36ers' 93-85 loss to the Brisbane Bullets, from 17:34 minutes off the bench. -- Givony. As the field of 68 eventually gets down to one team left standing with the championship trophy, some of the top NBA prospects will be on display. Whether it's Eric Paschall or P.J. Six-time PBA champ 'Plastic Man' Saldaa remembered fondly following death at 64, Justin Brownlee's journey from replacement import to Ginebra icon, Heartbreak is nothing new for Adamson star Jerom Lastimosa. He has a great opportunity to solidify his standing versus a Big Ten team in Michigan and then a potential showdown with Tennessee, one of the best defensive teams in college basketball in the Round of 32. ", "His mobility and awareness are above average at his height," Chan added. "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. 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