He is at his best when keeping things simple, and he can be prone to huge swings of intensity and productivity on both ends of the floor, depending on the night and how well things are going early in games. Some of those improvements have reflected in Sotto's frame, one that he has filled out over the past couple of years and enabled him to keep up in a highly-physical NBL. In general, catch-and-shoot shots (8.5 percent) and pick and pops (4.5 percent) comprised a small percentage of his shots, and Adelaide was below average in possessions that involved Sotto in those plays, per InStat. 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. When Christie's jumper is falling, it's easy to see him getting looks in the late first-round, projecting somewhere between Landry Shamet and Primo on his best days. "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. He's a magnet for fouls attacking the rim, is highly switchable on the perimeter and is always around the ball as a cutter and offensive rebounder. Looking the part of an NBA wing physically with his long arms and solid frame, he brings great energy on the glass, gets in passing lanes frequently, fills lanes effectively in transition and is an efficient scorer who does a lot of little things to impact winning. What version of Banchero will show up? 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. Rediscovering his defensive toughness, finding a rhythm from 3 and determining the right blend between scoring and playmaking will go a long way in solidifying his status as a top-20 prospect. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Cavaliers via Wizards), Andre Jackson | Sophomore | Connecticut | 6'6" | SG/SF | Age: 20.3, When: No. "There's no reason Sotto would not have the potential to be a productive contributor on the offensive end of the floor," Houben said. Although still improving as a passer, Murray has added something new to his offensive repertoire seemingly every game and has the next-play mentality that generally shines in the postseason. His passing and floor vision has garnered some attention over the years, but the potential has yet to fully materialize, as Sotto tallied more turnovers (32) than assists (14) in his first year with Adelaide. 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. There are only four sub-6-foot-1 guards who play at least 15 minutes per game in the NBA this season, meaning Chandler will have to be viewed as a special talent to warrant a high draft pick. Auburn's Walker Kessler does it all with a steal and a beautiful slam dunk to start off the game against South Carolina. Duke extends its lead over Syracuse thanks to Paolo Banchero's cut inside and big finish. May 27, 2022 3:23 PM. Even so, a possible callup in the second round remains within the realm of possibility. What to watch for: Sochan is the prototypical "initiator" modern big who can defend 4s and 5s while bringing the ball up the floor in transition and creating for himself and others in the half court, looking like Baylor's version of Boris Diaw when he's at his best. According to his agent Joel Bell, NBA scouts were "very enthusiastic" about the 7'3" big man and had even secured a guarantee with one team that they will pick Sotto once the draft rolls on. Foul trouble and turnovers have been an issue at times this season, exposing his youth and lack of experience. NBA scouts will have a close eye on whether Murray can take over games like he showed in the Big Ten tournament. Sotto can still land a contract and play in the Summer League in July. Does Liddell project as more of an energy guy or is he the next collegiate winner who scouts will overlook because of his less-than-stellar measurables, underrating his incredible intangibles, productivity and toughness? -- Schmitz, Jalen Duren | Freshman | Memphis | 6'10" | C | Age: 18.3, When: No. Kessler has had some issues dealing with physicality at times this season and has some limitations offensively for what NBA teams expect from a modern big man in terms of a shooting range that suppresses his upside to a degree -- all while, simultaneously, questions persist about the value of drafting centers in the first round.-- Givony, JD Davison goes behind his back for the absolute dime, Kennedy Chandler | Freshman | Tennessee | 6'1" | PG | Age: 19.4, When: No. With a body type that earns him comparisons ranging from Kevin Durant to Brandon Ingram to Kristaps Porzingis to Bol Bol, Holmgren has let his game do the talking, as he is in the midst of a record-breaking freshman season for Gonzaga. As the NBA draft draws closer, some teams have shown an increasing interest in Sotto's potential. 5 UConn vs. No. MANILA, Philippines - Kai Sotto will get a shot at impressing NBA teams ahead of . "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. F1 Olympic Sports Athletics Cycling Golf Tennis NCAAF NHL X Games Rugby WWE Basketball Home PBA Schedule Standing 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and an NBA-level bounce, Agbaji is one of nine players in the NCAA shooting over 40% from 3 on at least 6.5 attempts per game, and he's doing so while adding value defensively and ranking in the top 25 in scoring. "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.". "More minutes, along with another year of skill development and physical training, could only help his stock in the eyes of NBA evaluators.". A post shared by Kai Zachary Sotto (@kzsotto). Filipino big man Kai Sotto needs to ramp up his on-court work as he still ranks low in several NBA mock drafts. When Banchero is rolling offensively, few players are tougher to defend, which he showed the entire country in Madison Square Garden against Kentucky (22 points on 11 shots) and in a win over Gonzaga's Holmgren, scoring 21 points by way of pull-up 3s, step-back jumpers, crossover pull-ups, powerful drives and mid-post turnarounds. Paolo Banchero | Freshman | Duke | 6'10" | PF/C | Age: 19.3, When: No. As the NBA draft draws closer, some teams have shown an increasing interest in Sotto's potential. His decision to make the NBA jump despite having two more years left on his Adelaide contract (with a team option on the final year) did not come as a surprise to the 36ers. A darling of NBA analytics models thanks to the way he has filled up box scores his entire career, strong showings against high-major competition in the NCAA tournament and pre-draft process would go a long way in validating his production at the low-major level and proving his pass-dribble-shoot game translates. What to watch for: Agbaji has been one of the NCAA's most consistent players, reaching double figures in scoring and knocking down at least one 3-pointer in 32 of 33 games while also converting a remarkable 75% of his shots at the rim. Chat Sports will be live for every pick for both rounds, so make sure you join us by subscribing. 12 Richmond | Thursday | 3:10 p.m. | truTV. His decision to make the NBA jump despite having two more years left on his Adelaide contract (with a team option on the final year) did not come as a surprise to the 36ers. 11 Rutgers | Wednesday | 9:10 p.m. | truTV, What to watch for: Wesley is a dynamic shot-creating guard who burst onto the scene as a surprise one-and-done and has piqued the interest of NBA scouts with his ability to go get a bucket off the dribble like few guards, sharing some similarities to a guard such as James Bouknight at the same stage. International Stock Watch - 05/27/2022; 2022 NBA G . Pelicans-Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. Nets-Celtics, 7:30 p.m. NBA Draft 2023 Best Remaining Players - ESPN Draftcast Skip to main content Skip to navigation Presented By Full Scoreboard ESPN Search You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. As the season has gone along, however, Keels' defensive motor has fluctuated wildly. Kai Sotto will be hoping to make it in the big time after declaring for the NBA draft on Thursday. 7 Murray State vs. No. He has been just as effective against elite-level competition as he was early in the season, as his confidence has grown and the degree of difficulty of attempts has increased with little drop-off. A total of 36 international . ", Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto's defense and experience may put him behind other international prospects. At the end of the day, the NBL is a highly-regarded league that is able to help ease prospects into the professionalism of next-level basketball. 9 TCU | Friday | 9:57 p.m. | truTV, Tyler Burton | Junior | Richmond | 6'7" | SF | Age: 22.0, 53. How scouts feel about his confidence and aggression will go a long way in determining whether NBA teams view him as the next productive college upperclassmen turned draft-day steal la Herb Jones and Ayo Dosunmu. "Given his defensive motor and willingness to run the floor, I think he has the right mindset suited for the NBA," said Chan. Philippines International . 1 pick. A head-to-head matchup with Ivey in the Sweet 16 would be a great chance for Washington to prove that his more methodical game can hold up against a high-level athlete. Most notably, he was named to the All-Tournament First Team in the 2018 U16 Asia Championship, where Sotto averaged 16.8 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 1.2 assists in 25 minutes per game. Andrew Gaze and Nat Edwards breakdown 218cm Kai Sotto's impact on the Adelaide 36ers, areas of improvement and future prospects. Scouts will surely be hoping for a deep run from Duke and Gonzaga, as that would set up a Banchero-Holmgren rematch in the Elite 8. Photo from Adelaide 36ers. Cavaliers-Celtics, 7:30 p.m. Breaking down the top prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft | NBA Today 229,202 views Feb 3, 2022 2K Dislike Share Save ESPN 8.61M subscribers Mike Schmitz joins NBA Today to discuss the. Sports Illustrated's mock draft recently had Sotto at number 49 going to the Sacramento Kings. 1on1 Interview with Paolo. The 32 teams are set: Who's in and who's out for FIBA World Cup 2023? His passing and floor vision has garnered some attention over the years, but the potential has yet to fully materialize, as Sotto tallied more turnovers (32) than assists (14) in his first year with Adelaide. Andrew Gaze and Nat Edwards breakdown 218cm Kai Sotto's impact on the Adelaide 36ers, areas of improvement and future prospects. 4 UCLA vs. No. "There's no doubt that Sotto is a skilled big man -- his touch, particularly on short floaters, stood out as a skill he can use to get points around the rim, and he had some fun moments as a lob threat as well. 11 Notre Dame/Rutgers | Friday | 4:15 p.m. | TNT, Who is No. He can be a playmaker defensively when engaged, thanks to his huge wingspan and impressive lateral quickness, but he loses his focus frequently and has too many bad moments falling asleep off the ball. -- Mike Schmitz. (2:08). Finishing on a strong note will be important considering the way Davison's productivity has fluctuated, something that may make returning for another season in college appealing (or necessary) depending on how his season ends. "I feel like the next year or so is going to give us a better idea of the extent of his perceivable upside. "I remember I really liked his passing for a big man but his body was a big problem. They currently own the. NBA Draft News Best Available Teams Get the App Brown's productivity has really fluctuated against better competition, which makes sense considering his limitations in the skill department. "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. What to watch for: Williams is one of the best passing bigs in the country and a true hub that you can run the offense through from both the post and the perimeter, at least in college. Note: The projected 2022 draft order is based on the previous NBA mock draft from Feb. 23. Still, there's a near consensus that he still has a lot of work to do before becoming a no-brainer pick for a spot on an NBA roster. 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. Only two players in the country average at least 13 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting at least 50% from 2 and 40% from 3 -- Moore and Baylor Scheierman of South Dakota State. Data from InStat state that Adelaide hemorrhaged points when Sotto defended the roll man in the pick and roll (16 percent of his defensive possessions, second most) and gave up 1.37 PPP -- way above the league mean. The 18-year-old has as much riding on this NCAA tournament as any of the Duke prospects given the extreme highs and lows he has had this season. But there is belief Sotto can build around those figures in order to raise his ceiling and find a place on offense in the modern NBA. 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