JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Kai Sotto is set to begin his NBA private workouts next week in New York, according to league sources.
The Knicks will be among the dozen workouts lined up for Sotto in his bid to become the first homegrown Filipino to play in the NBA.
New York has the third-largest Filipino immigrants (236,000), next to Los Angeles (506,000) and San Francisco (310,000), according to a 2019 census.
Sotto is carrying the dream of an entire nation. But he’s unfazed by the pressure, and he’s determined to pursue his lifelong dream.
“I just have to learn to have fun through the journey,” Sotto told Lakersnation.com recently. “I always think this is my job, I love my job, and this is what I love to do. I enjoy it, so there’s not much pressure on me.”
Sotto is wrapping up his preparation for his whirlwind schedule of private workouts in Atlanta.
Aware of how the game has expanded in the NBA with traditional big men becoming obsolete, Sotto has been working out on his perimeter game.
He was a decent 38% t3-point shooter in the NBL though he only took 13 attempts in 23 games.
“That is one of the things I try my best to improve on, and it’s going to be a weapon for me when I master it,” Sotto said. “I just need a lot of reps to have confidence in myself.”
Many big men in the NBA have become unplayable as more teams are leaning towards employing switching defenses which put them at a disadvantage guarding smaller but quicker wings and guards.
Sotto says he’s prepared for that challenge after getting acclimatized to the physicality and speed of the professional level in the NBL.
“I feel like I’m confident protecting the paint because of my length and my size. But I have to improve on guarding smaller players because, in the NBA, everybody is pretty talented, skilled, and athletic, so I have to be ready physically and mentally,” Sotto said. “It’s all about preparation, and I think I’m on the right path.”
With Mitchell Robinson’s looming free agency, the Knicks might be looking to add another big man. They found a hidden gem last year in Jericho Sims at 58th pick.
The Knicks have two picks — No. 11 in the lottery and No. 42 in the second round — in the coming NBA draft in June.
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for the New York-based sports website empiresportsmedia.com.