Norman Black is in awe with how much Kai Sotto has progressed when he saw the 7-foot-2 center up close and personal during Gilas Pilipinas’ bubble training at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna back in February.
The decorated mentor was part of the Nationals’ coaching staff in Laguna in preparation for the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers’ third window. FIBA originally set the qualifiers in February but delayed them due to the pandemic.
The tilt will now take place in June at Clark in Pampanga, as the hosting rights returned to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.
“Definitely, Kai has improved a lot,” Black told Radyo5’s Power and Play with Noli Eala, Saturday. “From his high school days at Ateneo up to this point, he has become a much stronger player, a much more aggressive player.
“I was really impressed with him in the practices. I thought he would’ve helped the Gilas team a lot if we could’ve played against the South Korean team in this coming tournament that was supposed to take place last February.”
Such growth shown by the former UAAP Juniors MVP has made Black believe that his activities in the United States are effective.
“My personal feeling is, yes, whatever he’s doing in the States is working. He has improved his game a great deal. His strength has improved,” he said.
The son of former PBA player Ervin Sotto recently made a big move by joining the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s NBL. Before that, he was in the US from early 2019 to pursue his dream of making it to the NBA.
His journey there saw him hone his talents with The Skill Factory in Atlanta. He eventually became the first international prospect to sign with the NBA G-League’s trailblazing Ignite program.
Sotto’s stint with Ignite didn’t pan out as expected, but the work didn’t stop there. He saw action in the Smith League Open Run in Ohio, then flew to Miami to continue training with pro skills coach Stanley Remy.
Black gave his honest assessment of the former Batang Gilas standout in terms of his NBA aspirations, saying that there’s still more to be done.
“I’m not sure whether he’s ready for the NBA at this moment,” said the 63-year-old, who played for the Detroit Pistons briefly in 1980. “I think he still has to improve more. I think he has to become a little bit more powerful around the basket. It’s either he has to become more powerful around the basket, or he has to really perfect his three-point shot. One or the other.
“In other words, he’s gonna be out there stretching the floor like a [Kristaps] Porzingis or somebody along those lines, a guy who can consistently hit the three. Or, he has to be able to hold his own better underneath the basket.”
However, there’s no question for Black about the impact Sotto can bring to Gilas. In fact, he claimed that Sotto can help the country rise as a powerhouse in Asia.
“Now, here in the Philippines, for the national team? Oh, he would be a great help. I hope he can join the team. Because he will give us a really good chance of being a powerhouse in this part of the world,” he said.
“It’s not just height. The kid is talented. He can shoot the basketball. At this level in Asia, he would be a difficult player to deal with. I can tell you that much from what I saw in practice. And he’s only gonna get better. He’s still young.
“That’s why I’m saying he needs to train hard and continue to improve his skillset if he wants to make it to the NBA. But certainly, he can be a force in this part of the world,” Black closed.
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