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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Kai Sotto primed to get needed exposure in NBA Summer League

Kai Sotto primed to get needed exposure in NBA Summer League

Published Jul 8, 2023 02:56 pm
Filipino big man Kai Sotto is primed to get all the minutes he needs to impress and turn heads as the Orlando Magic begin their campaign against the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Summer League at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 9 (Manila time).

*Kai Sotto is set to makes his NBA Summer League debut for Orlando Magic (Orlando Magic FB photo)

*


With Sotto as one of the only two legitimate centers in the Magic lineup, the 7-foot-3 beanpole is expected to play significant minutes which could augur well to his bid to become the first full-blooded Filipino to make it to the NBA. Everything now all depends on how Sotto would make the most of the opportunity, especially that a lot of NBA teams, not just the Magic, are still looking to fill in open roster spots with talents that could emerge from the Summer League. Sotto, however, will have to go through some sort of baptism of fire when he faces up against legitimate NBA talents in the Pistons’ young frontline that featured James Wiseman and Jalen Duren in the 5:30 a.m encounter. Both Wiseman and Duren are both already solid rotation players in the NBA with the former submitting numbers of 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 24 games while the latter adding 9.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 61 games, including 31 starts last season. Sotto, for his part, will be banking on the experience he got from playing in the Australian NBL and in Japan B.League after going undrafted in the NBA draft last year. He did have some NBA caliber experience having been able to hold his ground against Phoenix's Deandre Ayton during the Suns and the Adelaide 36ers exhibition game last year. Sotto will be sharing the frontline chores with 6-foot-11, 24-year-old Robert Baker II from the Magic's G-League affiliate Osceola Magic last season, who averaged 10.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. Also part of the big man rotation for Orlando is five-year NBA veteran DJ Wilson although all eyes will also be on the Magic’s sixth overall pick Anthony Black and 11th pick Jett Howard in the recent NBA draft. Coaching the Magic is the head coach of its G League affiliate Dylan Murphy.
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