For NBA G League Select Team head coach Brian Shaw, Filipino teen phenom Kai Sotto can look at two NBA big men that can help him track his development all the way to the Association.
In terms of his growth and strength, Shaw says Kai could see a similar trajectory as that of Andrew Bynum.
In 2005, Bynum was the youngest player to enter the NBA as a 7-foot teenager out of high school. He had to spend some time developing before turning into an All-Star center and two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers.
"At the time, the youngest player to ever come in to the NBA was Andrew Bynum with the Lakers. He was a young big guy who eventually became very, very good but it didn't happen overnight," Shaw said through an interview set up by NBA Philippines.
"I think if Kai puts in the work, doing everything at game speed, I think he'll just naturally get better," he added.
Shaw says that bigs have a longer learning curve when it comes to basketball. That's especially true for players whose growth spurt may not match with their current skill level and strength.
In the case of Kai, he's still only 17-years-old after all. The muscles will come eventually.
"I had a fortune of coaching a lot of big guys, especially when they were really young. Kai is young, and a lot of times when you grow that fast at such a young age, it takes a little bit of time for your body to get a foundation of the basics to catch up," Shaw said.
"With the work we'll put in everyday, the things I'll be able to share and chart his progress like I did with a young Andrew Bynum, and I played with Shaq when he was young, they got better and better as time went on. I don't see why it would be any different with Kai," he added.
In terms of actual playing style, Shaw says he sees Sotto fitting in the mold as that of Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
One of the top centers in the NBA today, certainly one of the most versatile, Jokic is a legit 7-footer that can score all over the court, rebound, and facilitate.
In the current NBA season, Jokic is averaging 20.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. He's also a career 33.8 three-point shooter.
"I think he has the ability to play like Nikola Jokic. Kai can shoot from the outside. Obviously, I haven't had the chance to be around him yet, but from the film that I watched, it looks like he could shoot the ball from outside," Shaw said of Sotto.
"He could be a facilitator where you can put him on the top of the floor, give him the ball, and let him do dribble hand-offs. I see him as a guy that's pretty versatile. Obviously he has to get stronger but I think he can play with his back to the basket as well as facing the basket," the former Laker added of Kai.
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https://sports.abs-cbn.com/nba/news/2020/08/13/brian-shaw-kai-sotto-grow-like-bynum-play-like-jokic-70176
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