After riding the bench in their first three games, Kai Sotto was finally unleashed, making a strong impression during the Orlando Magic’s 71-88 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association Summer League on Friday (Manila time) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The 7-foot-3 Sotto checked in at the beginning of the second quarter and made an immediate impact as he pulled two rebounds, blocked one shot and missed a field goal attempt in five minutes and 37 seconds of playing time.
He was inserted back into the game in the third quarter in which he scored his first basket that drew cheers from a small group of Filipino fans at the cavernous arena.
Sotto returned in the fourth period, scoring four more points — a wide-open jumper and a powerful two-handed dunk off a feed from Tyger Campbell — while asserting his presence in the shaded lane.
All in all, Sotto, who has been dreaming of becoming the first full-blooded Filipino to play in the NBA, racked up six points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field with four rebounds, three blocks and an assist in 13 minutes and 23 seconds of action.
“It goods to finally be out there. It’s my first time here in the Summer League, first time getting on the court, so it’s just a lot of excitement,” said Sotto, who was slapped with a DNP-CD (Did Not Play-Coach Decision) during the Magic’s first three games against the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks.
He added that his mindset was not to make an impression in a bid to land an NBA contract, but how to make an impact and help the Magic pluck their first Summer League victory.
“I just wanted to impact the game,” said Sotto, who will have another chance to prove his worth when the Magic wrap up their Summer League campaign against the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
“Sadly, we didn’t win. We lost. But there was a lot to learn from this game.”
“I think we were pretty good defensively. We just got to work on getting better looks. We just have to bounce back.”
One of Sotto’s biggest supporters, former Alaska import Sean Chambers, was in the stands to witness Sotto’s Summer League debut.
“He was impressive in limited minutes. He proved that he belongs,” said the 58-year-old Chambers, who led the disbanded Alaska squad to six titles in the Philippine Basketball Association.
“He shows tremendous touch from mid-range. He’s got great hands and a nice shot-blocking instinct.”
Joining Chambers at courtside was his former Alaska teammate, Jojo Lastimosa, who painted quite a gloomy picture of Sotto’s NBA journey.
In a Viber message to Daily Tribune, Lastimosa stressed that earning a roster spot in the NBA, the most prestigious commercial league in the world, is easier said than done, especially with how the game has evolved.
“The NBA, or basketball in general, has evolved into a faster, three-point shooting, pick and roll game. The slow, non-shooting big men will have a hard time,” said Lastimosa, who has been mentoring Sotto since he was a skinny kid who was being brought by his father, Ervin, to NLEX training.
“It will be hard for Kai to break in unless he develops a threat from the outside. He can defend the middle, no doubt, but he will find it hard to switch against smaller players.”
Aside from Chambers and Lastimosa, other former PBA personalities who were at courtside during Sotto’s Summer League game were former imports Derrick Hamilton, Antonio Lang and Carlos Clark.
Lang, the former Duke University star who won a PBA title with the Barako Bull in the 2001 Commissioner’s Cup, serves as assistant coach of his Quin Snyder with the Atlanta Hawks.
He is also calling the shots for the Hawks in the Summer League with his cousin, Hamilton, supporting him.
