Stock watch: Which players are on the move during Champ Week? "Outside of being a drop-off/lob option, he seems most successful in getting his offense in the pick and roll. Today we look at Sotto's decision to declare for the draft and what he brings on offense. 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. -- Schmitz, Mark Williams | Sophomore | Duke | 7'1" | C | Age: 20.2, What to watch for: Williams' 7-foot-1, 242-pound frame and 7-foot-7 wingspan certainly stand out at the college level. On to. -- Givony. People will realize how special Kai is," Chan said when asked about Sotto's draft stock. "Continuing to find ways to maximize the value he gets out of his physical tools while he continues to work on improving the processing and shooting seems to be the current path for Kai," Smith offered. Basketball Home PBA Schedule PBA Standings Gilas Schedule The link to this photo or video may be broken, or the post may have been removed. Scouts will want to see if he can turn that talent into consistent and efficient production - on both ends -- in do-or-die games that matter before anointing him a surefire first-round pick. 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. Michael Houben, a scouting expert for the Australian independent basketball publication "The Pick and Roll," said Sotto's decision to head to the draft felt buoyed mostly by a strong finish in the last five games of the NBL season. 16 Texas-Southern/Texas A&M-CC| Thursday | 9:57 p.m. | truTV, What to watch for: Braun plays up to four positions for Kansas, switching seamlessly on the perimeter, putting a body on big men in the post and doing quite a bit of facilitation in the half-court. 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. More mobile than overly quick or explosive, he'll have to rely more on skill than vertical pop in the NBA, making it that much more important that he is at least a threat from 3 to open up the rest of his game. "I imagine Sotto goes undrafted, but even if he [isn't] picked up, he still has two years on his contract with the Adelaide 36ers, and the NBL is an excellent environment for giving Kai the resources and opportunity to further develop and work towards bigger opportunities.". What to watch for: Brown looks like a Cinderella darling candidate, playing for a formidable Murray State team that is 30-2 and hasn't lost in nearly three months. 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. 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. He is the only prospect in NCAA history to average at least 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while shooting over 70% from 2 and 40% from 3, and he's doing so on the No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. "I feel like the next year or so is going to give us a better idea of the extent of his perceivable upside. Even. Although he is rock solid across the board, Branham doesn't quite have that one elite skill, at least at the level of an NBA starter. Drew Timme | Junior | Gonzaga | 6'10" | PF/C | Age: 21.5, Andrew Nembhard | Senior | Gonzaga | 6'4" | PG | Age: 22.1, Zach Edey | Sophomore | Purdue | 7'4" | C | Age: 19.8, Jaylin Williams | Sophomore | Arkansas | 6'10" | C | Age: 19.7, When: No. -- Givony, 13. In January of 2020, he was named MVP of the King Invitational tournament, where in three games, he averaged 27 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.3 blocks and 3.0 assists. 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. It's clear that Davison's struggles as a scorer and concerningly high turnover rate make him more of a long-term prospect, which has allowed more productive guards to jump ahead of him as the season has moved on. Here's a look at the two-round mock draft: ESPN NBA Mock Draft Chet Holmgren, PF (Gonzaga), Houston Rockets Jabari Smith, SF/PF (Auburn), Orlando Magic Paolo Banchero, PF/C (Duke), Indiana Pacers Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren elevates and jams it home vs. San Francisco. Governors' Cup Power Rankings: Is NorthPort's rise real? In the eyes of these experts, Sotto lags behind his fellow international draft prospects and might have to wait a bit before being able to get a shot at playing in the NBA. He also posted the sixth-highest block rate (5.3 percent) among 76 players who played at least 350 minutes, according to the website. 15 CSU Fullerton | Friday | 7:10 p.m. | CBS |. Paolo Banchero throws down two-handed and-1 slam, Memphis' Duren comes out of nowhere for massive block, Walker Kessler gets up for the beautiful slam dunk, Ron Harper Jr. provides heroics for Rutgers in wild ending vs. Indiana, The highlights that make Chet Holmgren a top NBA prospect (2:02), 2022 NBA mock draft: Top 58 prospects in the NCAA tournament, Warrants out for arrest of draft prospect Carter, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, V. Bryant settles crash photos suit for $28.85M, Eagles defend QB-push tactic as NFL set to revisit, Bengals not trading Higgins: 'Find your own' WR, Irving: Need to scale back self-imposed pressure, Seahawks consider QB at No. He represented the Philippines in the 2018 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship, where he averaged a double-double and was named to the tournament's First Team. However, he decided to forgo his college eligibility and join the NBA G League Ignite. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, What NBA Finals runs from LeBron, Giannis can teach Jayson Tatum, Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences. ESPN's Draft Analyst Jonathan Givony has him slated at pick #14 in his 2021 NBA mock draft.. Asked if this means Sotto might be limited mostly to defending in drop coverage as to being able to defend in more aggressive schemes in the NBA, Houben concurred. His upright stance on the perimeter and struggles covering ground fluidly are question marks projecting to the NBA level, as is the fact that the game simply moves too fast for him at times on both ends of the floor. He's also shooting just 40% at the rim in the half-court, converting 16 shots at the rim in 33 games. 12 New Mexico State | Thursday | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, Matthew Mayer | Senior | Baylor | 6'9" | SF/PF | Age: 22.4, Trayce Jackson-Davis | Junior | Indiana | 6'9" | PF/C | Age: 22.0, When: No. If you are having difficulty accessing any content on this website, please visit our Accessibility page. Smith, meanwhile, says the NBL is a great avenue for Kai to continue growing as a professional at this stage in his young career. Check out some of the best highlights from Gonzaga sensation Chet Holmgren as he stays near the top of NBA draft boards. Jonathan Givony is an NBA Draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams. 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. 9 Memphis | Thursday | 1:45 p.m. | TNT. 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. 7-2, 230 Center. Whoever signs him will get a well-worth piece in their winning puzzle.". Sotto managed to carve out a niche in the NBL, albeit in a limited role, because of his unusual blend of size and mobility. "Kai is a positive influence who brings energy and effort to the team at practices and games everyday. "While his late season performances certainly helped, it felt like only a glimpse of his potential, and with those flashes, it felt like another season in the NBL would have seen him play a bigger role that could've highlighted his game even more," Houben said. MANILA, Philippines Sports Illustrated has projected Kai Sotto as the No.49 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in its mock draft for the 2022 NBA Draft. His fluidity and mobility is an intriguing aspect of his game and really stands out when rolling to the basket, where he had some vicious dunks," Smith said. 10 Davidson | Friday | 9:40 p.m. | CBS. If not, is he a skilled enough shooter, passer and ball handler to be an asset on the perimeter? Casey Holdahl. He is the best shot-blocker in college, with intriguing versatility and mobility guarding the pick-and-roll, stepping out the perimeter and recovering to make plays at the rim. "I imagine Sotto goes undrafted, but even if he [isn't] picked up, he still has two years on his contract with the Adelaide 36ers, and the NBL is an excellent environment for giving Kai the resources and opportunity to further develop and work towards bigger opportunities.". 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. What to watch for: The SEC player of the year and a leading candidate for various NCAA player of the year honors, Tshiebwe is in the midst of a historic season statistically for Kentucky, grabbing more rebounds than any player in the modern era, spanning back at least 30 years. -- Schmitz, Johnny Davis | Sophomore | Wisconsin | 6'5" | PG/SG | Age: 20.0, When: No. LIVE NBA MOCK DRAFT! Few others like Makur Maker, Kai Sotto, Zaire Wade, Henri Drell and Samson Ruzhentsev are also there. Governors' Cup Power Rankings: Is NorthPort's rise real? "I think he's very unique compared to all overseas and American prospects. 1 pick who looked unfazed by the pressure of MSG or the player who looked tentative down the stretch of a few Duke losses during conference play? -- Givony, TyTy Washington Jr. | Freshman | Kentucky | 6'4" | PG/SG | Age: 20.3, When: No. "Further growth as a passer as he matures and the games slows down for him will also be extremely helpful, as he has shown a certain level of vision at previous levels of play.". He also has gradually emerged as a more consistent force in Purdue's half-court offense, doing a better job of harnessing his explosiveness, picking his spots and making others better, even if his decision-making still leaves something to be desired at times. 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. Possible second round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, 5-Star Corner: Patrick Baldwin Jr. Interview, A Closer Look At Bronny James as a NBA Draft Prospect, Talented Sons of Famous NBA Fathers Part 2, The 10 Top Freshmen In High School Basketball Class of 2026 Recruits, Re-Draft of the 2022 NBA Draft, Top 20 2 Months Into The Season, My Guys Prospects Im Irrationally High On In The 2023 Draft, 2023 NBA Draft Big Board Early Season Edition, Upperclassmen Moving Up The Draft Board The Desmond Bane Effect, The Elite 25 The Top NBA Prospects In High School Basketball Fall 2022, 2026 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings (2025 recruiting class), Victor Wembanyamas Physical Profile and NBA Comparisons. The 6-foot-6 Summit league player of the year wears many hats as their primary facilitator, leading rebounder and 47% 3-point shooter, sliding between the point guard and power forward spots for an up-tempo, undersized team that ranks as the best 3-point shooting team in the country. Over time I think he continues to get stronger, and his muscle growth has been very promising, but he isn't strong enough just yet.". Williams' motor has fluctuated wildly this season, as he simply goes through the motions at times, especially on the defensive end, where he doesn't quite project as a rim protector or a switch defender despite being a stellar positional rebounder (14.8 per 40 minutes) with sharp instincts. Per tracking data from InStat, the 36ers scored 1.33 points per possession (PPP) with Sotto as a cutter and 1.17 PPP when he was involved as a roller, both marks above the league average (1.09 and 1.02 PPP, respectively). ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz predict what the 2022 NBA draft could look like if all 58 players came from college basketball's marquee event. Despite facing Duke, UCLA, Alabama and Texas Tech in nonconference play, a heavy dose of Holmgren's true highlights came against West Coast Conference opponents, as he took more of a back seat offensively against the Blue Devils, Crimson Tide and others. 1 in the latest NBA Basketball Power Index? NBA Draft 2023 News - ESPN Draftcast Skip to main content Skip to navigation Search You have come to the Philippines Edition, for other ESPN editions, click here. Kai Sotto - NBA Draft Room Kai Sotto NBA DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT Draft Notes Sotto is an intriguing prospect who comes from good basketball bloodlines (father Ervin Sotto) and who has shown marked improvement in his frame over the past couple of seasons. A 2022 NBA mock draft big board just one day after the 2021 Draft? In 24 games, he shot 49.6% from the floor, 35.7% from 3-point range and 68.1% from the free throw line -- numbers that have drawn polarizing opinions from those who have followed Sotto's journey with close interest. 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