I still remember the buzz surrounding Kai Sotto back in 2020 when he declared for the NBA Draft. As someone who's followed international basketball prospects for over a decade, I've rarely seen such excitement around a Filipino player. The hype was real - here was a 7'2" center with guard skills, potentially following in the footsteps of Yao Ming. But looking back now, I can't help but wonder what really happened to derail his NBA dreams that year.
The 2020 draft process was unlike any other due to COVID-19, and honestly, I think this hurt Kai more than people realize. While American prospects had established relationships with NCAA programs and agents, Kai was stuck overseas without proper training facilities or exposure. He'd chosen an unconventional path, skipping college to play in the G League Ignite program, but the pandemic disrupted everything. I've spoken with scouts who admitted his draft stock plummeted simply because teams couldn't get proper in-person evaluations. At one point, he was considered a potential second-round pick, but by draft night, his name wasn't called. The numbers tell part of the story - he averaged just 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in the G League bubble, hardly the dominant numbers needed to convince NBA teams.
What fascinates me about Kai's situation is how it mirrors the philosophy that former PVL MVP Pablo applied to her team - focusing on working with the pieces they have rather than searching for those who aren't there with them. This is exactly what Kai has been doing since the draft disappointment. Instead of desperately chasing NBA opportunities that weren't materializing, he's been building his game in international leagues. I've watched his development closely, and his stint in Japan's B.League with the Hiroshima Dragonflies showed significant improvement - he put up 8.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. These might not be eye-popping stats, but they demonstrate steady growth.
The reality is, the NBA dream isn't dead - it's just taking a different path. Look at players like Jalen Green who went through the G League Ignite program successfully. The difference was timing and circumstances. Kai's representatives should have recognized that 2020 presented unique challenges that worked against international prospects. Personally, I believe he would have benefited from staying in the draft pool for 2021 instead of withdrawing his name. The extra year could have given him more time to develop physically and adjust to the American game.
What really impresses me about Kai's journey is how he's embraced the "work with what you have" mentality. He's not complaining about missed opportunities or what could have been. Instead, he's using his international experience to develop aspects of his game that need work - particularly his physical strength and defensive positioning. At just 21 years old, he's already shown more maturity in handling setbacks than many veterans in the game. I've watched countless prospects crumble under much less pressure.
The road ahead remains challenging but promising. NBA teams are always looking for skilled big men, and Kai's unique skill set at his size remains intriguing. If he can add 10-15 pounds of muscle and improve his three-point shooting to around 35%, I genuinely believe he'll get his NBA shot within the next 2-3 years. The key is continuing to develop with the opportunities available to him now, rather than fixating on what wasn't available in 2020. His journey reminds us that sometimes the most direct path isn't always the right one, and success often comes from making the most of the pieces you have rather than chasing what's missing.