Japeth on Kai's NBA G League stint: Absorb every lesson, give it time
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.
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“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.
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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.
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“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.