"Big Guy with a Nice Skillset" Brian Shaw on Kai Sotto

Filipino basketball prodigy Kai Sotto has been hailed as the future of Philippine basketball as he is about to make a name for himself once he starts playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) G-League as a member of the G-League Select Team. Brian Shaw, a five-time NBA champion and the former head coach of the Denver Nuggets, is set to handle the daunting task of coaching the highly-touted basketball prodigy.

Last August 25’s episode of “Off the Record” with Migs Bustos featured the former Los Angeles Laker guard taking question during a virtual press conference held by NBA Philippines and one of the main topics is the former Ateneo Blue Eaglet Kai Sotto. Although he admitted that hasn’t seen as much of Kai Sotto, he shared that Kai is a “big guy with a nice skillset, nice to touch. He (Sotto) seems to have a very good understanding of the game” Moving forward on what his job as a coach, the 54-year old Shaw went “My job as a coach is to try to develop these guys and teach them as best as I can through my experiences on how to be pros on and off the court”

Another good question that was thrown to Brian Shaw was what are the specific things he wants to see from Kai and that when the G-League-bound Filipino does show, it will make Shaw say “Alright. We’ve done our job here in the G-League” Pointing out Sotto being an 18-year old who stands seven-foot-two, Shaw explained “When you grow that fast at such a young age, it takes a little bit more time for your body and your strength (to catch up) and for you to be able to get the foundation” Using another example is former Los Angeles Laker center in Andrew Bynum who at that time, was the youngest player to come to the NBA, “Bynum was a young big guy who eventually became very, very good but didn’t happen overnight.  So, I think if Kai puts in the work, obviously he will spend a lot of time in the weight room, getting stronger with a strength and conditioning coach, I think he has the opportunity to play the game (in the NBA)”

Shaw then concluded “It’s just a matter of putting in the work every day during games, doing everything at game’s speed, and when he does everything at game’s speed,  I think he’ll naturally get better because he has the drive to get there (in the NBA)” As someone who coached a young Bynum, a young Pau Gasol and even played alongside a young Shaquille O’Neal, Brian Shaw added “ They got better and better as time went on so I don’t see why it will be any different for Kai”

Screenshot is from "Off the Record" with Migs Bustos Facebook page