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| Gilas' Kai Sotto at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Photo: fiba.basketball |
The 7-foot-3 center played just 73 seconds - yes, you read that right, a minute and 13 seconds - in the defeat. Disappointingly, he had a block and two personal fouls under his name on the box score.
Gilas head coach Chot Reyes said that there were two factors that the coaching staff considered about the benching.
Why Kai Sotto played just 73 seconds vs Dominican Republic #FIBAWC @spinph pic.twitter.com/6JaPQRNxdt
— Reuben Terrado (@reubensports) August 26, 2023
“Kai picked up two quick fouls so we have to get him out of the game right away,” Reyes said, referring to Sotto's early foul trouble as one of the factors. The other one is the stellar play of both AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo, Kai's fellow Gilas bigs.
“He (Edu) was playing really well. And if we get him (Kai) in, the other one I have to sit is a guy named June Mar Fajardo,” said Reyes. “I’m sure a lot of people are going to wonder why, but between sitting AJ and June Mar, there was just no opportunity. And the match-up just didn’t favor Kai.”
As we can see, it looked like Kai is still raw to go toe-to-toe against NBA-caliber opponents like Karl-Anthony Towns. It was noticeable he was slower and physically weaker when matched up with KAT.
It was also clear that Edu and Fajardo could hold their ground better, which forced Reyes to sit Sotto down. They were much bulkier and faster on their feet as compared to Kai.
The right time will come for Kai, but we think it is not now. In the meantime, he remains a prospect. He should continue to work hard to get to where he needs to be.
We're still rooting for you, Kai!
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