3 Tennessee vs. No. Should the stars align . AJ Griffin | Freshman | Duke | 6'6" | SF/PF | Age: 18.5, When: No. After not appearing in any major mock drafts for the past few months -- including ESPN's big board, which lists the 7-foot-3 center as the 11th-best prospect at center -- the Filipino talent cracked Sports Illustrated's post-combine top 60 released on May 24 and is reportedly in line for a workout with NBA teams. -- Schmitz, Jeremy Sochan | Freshman | Baylor | 6'9" | PF | Age: 18.8, When: No. Noteworthy: There's arguably no better fit between team and prospect than Saddiq Bey and. KAI Sotto 's name was noticeably absent from the early entry candidates list for the 2022 NBA Draft that the league released on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time). Proving that he values every defensive possession will be key for Wesley in NCAA tournament play, also. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 4 UCLA vs. No. Grading Kai Sotto: How the Philippines' prospect's offense stacks up in the 2022 NBA draft Skip to main content Skip to navigation > ESPN Search You have come to the ESPN Africa. "Kai had a more productive NBL season statistically than I think many were expecting him to, but as it remains, there is still room for improvement," Smith said. His 7-foot-4 wingspan, outstanding mobility and quickness getting off his feet make him a force both around the rim as well as covering ground on the perimeter, where he's often asked to guard smaller players in Arizona's jumbo lineups. He has seen extensive playing time offensively inside the paint while anchoring Kentucky's defense, being the only high-major player to post more than two blocks and two steals per-40 minutes. 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. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 Loyola Chicago | Friday | 12:15 p.m. | CBS. I think it's a valid concern in the NBA if he got a chance. NBA draft scouts. As the field of 68 eventually gets down to one team left standing with the championship trophy, some of the top NBA prospects will be on display. Andrew Gaze and Nat Edwards breakdown 218cm Kai Sotto's impact on the Adelaide 36ers, areas of improvement and future prospects. Sotto isn't popping up in any mock . The 76th edition of the NBA draft is scheduled to be held on June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Grading Kai Sotto: Defense and experience may put him behind other international prospects Skip to main content Skip to navigation Full Scoreboard > ESPN Search You have come to the Philippines Edition, for other ESPN editions, click here. 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. 3 Purdue vs. No. Before the NCAA Tournament ends, though, ESPN released an updated NBA mock draft, with the projected draft order based on ESPN's BPI ratings. 15 Saint Peter's | Thursday | 7:10 p.m. | CBS. With all that said, Christie has picture-perfect shooting mechanics, can rise up off the dribble with ease, and holds some defensive potential as well given his projectable frame and feet, even if he gives up too many straight-line drives to the rim at this stage. 11 Michigan | Thursday | 12:15 p.m. | CBS, What to watch for: The Mountain West Conference player of the year, Roddy emerged as a potential All-American and one of the most versatile and unique college players as a junior. ", "His mobility and awareness are above average at his height," Chan added. "The first thing that stands out with Kai is that the size is very real. What to watch for: Duke's most versatile prospect, Moore is an X factor of sorts for the Blue Devils as he gives them a different dimension when he's fully engaged and playing with confidence as a do-it-all wing who can initiate offense, make open 3s, attack the rim and defend his position. 2 Duke vs. No. 1 pick. Can the Lions fix their defense? "If Sotto can develop the things in his control, such as his strength, his awareness and his technique, he could grow into a strong rim protecting presence that could anchor an effective defense.". Andrew Gaze and Nat Edwards breakdown 218cm Kai Sotto's impact on the Adelaide 36ers, areas of improvement and future prospects. With rival Asian leagues circling, is the five-year college player a thing of the past in the Philippines? Sotto's name was absent from the 2022 NBA draft early entrants list released on Tuesday, which featured 36 international players among a total of 283 candidates. 8 Boise State vs. No. He's coachable and receptive to feedback from coaches and teammates," Chan said. The full 1-58 order also reflects picks owed and owned. If he can continue to improve his hands and strength offensively, whilst refining a basic but effective post game to penalize smaller lineups, then Sotto has a legitimate role offensively," Houben said. Scouts will want to see Lewis make better decisions, play with more energy defensively and find more ways to impact the game when the tough jump shots he tends to live off of aren't falling. 9 Memphis | Thursday | 1:45 p.m. | TNT. NBA scouts have questions about Smith's ability to create offense for himself and others and be efficient inside the arc. 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. 16 Norfolk State | Thursday | 2:00 p.m. | TBS. I think it would be even worse and he would struggle a fair bit against stronger post players. May 27, 2022 1.6K Dislike Share NBA Ranking 22.5K subscribers NBA Mock Draft 2022. -- Schmitz, Kendall Brown | Freshman | Baylor | 6'8" | SF | Age: 18.8, What to watch for: The most explosive leaper in college, Brown is a highlight reel waiting to happen anytime he catches the ball with room to operate. 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. Eason has improved his ballhandling and perimeter shooting considerably while putting consistent pressure on opposing defenses with his quick first step, physicality and insatiable intensity, allowing him to live at the free throw line. Banchero is the type of offensive talent who can take over a game, and doing so when it matters most would be a great way to remind NBA executives why he was once considered the early favorite for the No. One surprising stat: Sotto was also pretty good against ball-handlers in the pick and roll, where he defended a fourth-most 10.7 percent of the time. 11 Iowa State | Friday | 7:20 p.m. | TBS. "I think with the way he plays, his height and length helps to make up for that but he was still struggling against some players in the post. As the NBA draft draws closer, some teams have shown an increasing interest in Sotto's potential. Kai Sotto's hope of realizing a nation's NBA dreams depends on whether the league will favor potential over results. What to watch for: Named second-team All-Big Ten, Harper carried Rutgers into the NCAA tournament with several heroic late game shots after a slow start to the season. 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. A total of 36 international . -- Jonathan Givony. 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. "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. He went to the Miami School in Hamilton, Ohio. "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.". They currently own the. 6 Colorado State vs. No. If Sotto goes undrafted in June, a couple of alternative routes await. The NCAA's withdrawal deadline has passed and the final phases of preparation are underway around the NBA. And Duke's Paolo Banchero is one of the Blue Devils' five first-round prospects who are hoping coach Mike Krzyzewski's legendary career ends by cutting down the net at the Final Four in New Orleans. 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. 1 team. 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.". Sotto averaged 11.6 points on 52.6 percent shooting along with 4.2 boards and 1.2 swats while breaching double-digit scoring in three of those contests. Las Pias, Philippines . 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? (2:08). NBA Home Scores Schedule Standings Stats Teams Daily Lines All-Star Game More 05/11/02 (20.8 yrs) Hometown. 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. Governors' Cup Power Rankings: Is NorthPort's rise real? 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. -- Schmitz, Oscar Tshiebwe | Junior | Kentucky | 6'9" | C | Age: 22.2. Kai Sotto hasn't really been in a lot of 2022 NBA mock drafts. He's an active offensive rebounder and a defensive playmaker. Mathurin's decision-making in high-leverage moments also will be closely scrutinized. I can recall Sam Froling absolutely dominating him when they played against Australia (in 2019 at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup)," Purnell recalled. His play can open up an opportunity for a two-way contract later down the road. "Having this opportunity to develop in the NBL is a great situation for Kai and I'd imagine he spends the next year or two in Australia as he continues to find his footing in the world of professional basketball," Smith explained. We'll learn more about Christie's ability to take and make big shots in clutch moments during Michigan State's NCAA tournament run, which will either put scouts at ease about the 19-year-old's underwhelming freshman campaign or suggest that he clearly needs more seasoning at the collegiate ranks before making the pro leap. "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. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. One of the most prolific isolation players in the NCAA, Banchero has an NBA-ready offensive bag. What to watch for: Smith has emerged as one of the most dynamic shooters in college, converting 43% of his 3-pointers despite standing 6-foot-10. -- 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. "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.". Scouting Report: Kai Sotto | The Jump (2:08), Kai Sotto declares for 2022 NBA draft in hopes of fulfilling "ultimate dream". "More minutes, along with another year of skill development and physical training, could only help his stock in the eyes of NBA evaluators.". 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 1 Kansas vs. 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. He can push the ball himself in transition or run the floor like a center. 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? 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. SNEAK PEAK OF THE TOP CENTER OF NBA DRAFT CLASS OF 2022 WERE OUR HOPE KAI SOTTO WILL SEAL HIS SPOT TO ENTER THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION (NBA)#adelai. Who is the player of the year in every women's college basketball conference? "He has the type of movement that allows him to find himself an open lane for big-time dunks and create open shots for himself.". Benefiting from the platform of a Final Four run would go a long way in solidifying his standing as a first-round pick. 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Brown's productivity has really fluctuated against better competition, which makes sense considering his limitations in the skill department. 16 Bryant/Wright State | Friday | 7:27 p.m. | truTV, What to watch for: The Pac-12 player of the year, Mathurin made a big jump as a sophomore while leading Arizona in scoring. The 19-year-old had a breakout game earlier this month with a career-high 21 points in the 36ers' 93-85 loss to the Brisbane Bullets, from 17:34 minutes off the bench. 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. "I think mock draft boards are great for the general public's reference but don't entirely represent the full picture. What to watch for: Fresh off a record-breaking Big Ten tournament, Murray enters the Big Dance with as much momentum as any NBA prospect. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA draft is far from solidified but it's going to be hard for teams to pass on Chet Holmgren. 11 - Kai Sotto. Grading Kai Sotto: How the Philippines' prospect's offense stacks up in the 2022 NBA draft Skip to main content Skip to navigation Search You have reached ESPN's Australian edition. Pelicans-Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. Nets-Celtics, 7:30 p.m. "I feel like the next year or so is going to give us a better idea of the extent of his perceivable upside. Today, we're focusing on the rest of his game: His defense, his intangibles on and off the floor, and his potential future paths. 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. 1 overall pick in this year's lottery via the Draft. -- Schmitz, JD Davison | Freshman | Alabama | 6'3" | PG | Age: 19.4, When: No. 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. "Given his defensive motor and willingness to run the floor, I think he has the right mindset suited for the NBA," said Chan. May 27, 2022 3:23 PM. Kai Sotto . Sotto was eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft because he is a 19-year-old talent one year removed from playing high school basketball. 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