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SIMOUN SAYS: Kai Sotto Will Be Missed (Or Would He?)

Well, this sucks.

I’ll be honest: The Gilas fan in me is worried about the February 2025 games, now that our vastly improving giant by the name of Kai Sotto will be out of action. From the perspective of a national team supporter, the biggest questions are: How will Kai’s unavailability affect our team on both ends of the floor, and who will step up in this behemoth’s absence?

But, on a deeper level, I am saddened simply because another human being won’t be able to do something he loves for six months, maybe more. I feel dejected because a 22-year-old was doing so well in his craft, and now, his upward trajectory will have to be put on pause.

In the wake of the ACL tear that Sotto suffered inside the Kariyashi Taiikuan venue on Jan. 5, an outpour of support flooded social media. One of Kaiju’s well wishers was AJ Edu, the other half of the Gilas twin towers. Edu, who’s endured his fair share of knee injuries in this decade, offered Kai Sotto some advice from a place of empathy:

“My biggest advice is to trust in the Lord, to really hold on to faith that the Lord has good plans and will restore him,” the Toyama Grouses center told The Tiebreaker Times. “I’ve seen God’s goodness in my own life, restoring me to the basketball court, and I believe we’ll see it in Kai’s life too.”

Comforting words, indeed. The best way, of course, for Gilas to alleviate Kai Sotto’s pain is to win their games in the February 2025 window: a showdown with Chinese Taipei on the 20th and a highly awaited rematch against New Zealand on the 23rd.

The Tall Blacks are out for revenge after our Pinoy squad pulled off an impeccable 93-89 win at the Mall of Asia Arena last November. Can Gilas pull off a repeat performance in front of a rabid crowd in Auckland?

I think they can. For the second time in this column, let’s talk about AJ Edu.

If the 6-foot-10 center suits up for the national team next month, he can fill the void left by Kai Sotto in two crucial categories: rebounding and interior defense.

  • When Gilas defeated New Zealand two months ago, Sotto pulled down 10 of the team’s 44 rebounds. Edu, a long-limbed athletic freak who’s quick on his feet, is capable of giving that key contribution.
  • Now, while Edu doesn’t have Sotto’s 7-foot-3 frame, he’s a highly active weak side defender and an above-average deterrent against opposing bigs trying to post up. Pull up those clips of his performance in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and you’ll see how he held his own against the bigs of teams like Italy and the Dominican Republic.

Whether or not Edu sees action against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand, there’s another way for Gilas to plug in the Kaiju-shaped hole in their frontcourt: by committee. The rest of the big man lineup at Tim Cone’s disposal need to pour some extra sauce on their performance next month for the Philippines to cook up a sweep of the qualifying round.

They might as well write a “Things That Kai Sotto Does” checklist and split up the chores. June Mar Fajardo can add some muscle on the boards. Japeth Aguilar can hoist the “No parking” sign in the paint and swat shots of hardheaded ball handlers. Carl Tamayo can do what he’s been doing lately in the KBL and score a lot—like, an awful lot, please.

Oh, and we have a Justin Noypi and a Mason Amos that can terrorize the Tall Blacks from the perimeter. Did I mention that we have an epic backcourt as well?

One last thing: I would love nothing more than to see Quentin Millora-Brown being given a chance to don the Gilas colors as Sotto takes a backseat. But, to be honest, I’m not holding out hope for that prospect to materialize, primarily because Tim Cone’s middle name is “Short Rotation.” Thankfully, our frontcourt as presently constructed is flexible in more ways than one.

The scary scene that happened on the floor of Kariyashi Taiikuan threatens to dash our national team’s hopes of winning twice in the February 2025 window. Can Gilas overcome this predicament? 

Simoun says: Kakayanin yan. Para kay Kai.

By the Numbers

7

The number of minutes that Kevin Quiambao spent in his debut for the Goyang Sono Skygunners before exiting the game with what looked like an ankle injury. Just as I was ramping up my hopeful tone for Gilas in the main section of this column, my side searches led me to this breaking news about KQ’s maiden voyage in the KBL. As I mustered my thoughts in reaction to this development, I thought…damn it. Seriously, damn it.

9

The number of assists that JD Cagulangan dished in his own KBL debut on Saturday. You can imagine how delighted I was to see the former Fighting Maroon showcase his playmaking for the Suwon KT Sonicboom. But, with the KQ news that I saw just just an hour ago, I’m getting mixed emotions. Why couldn’t the basketball gods have written feel-good narratives for both UAAP icons? Come on, man.

Tweet of the Week

Because I flat-out refuse to end this column on a somber note, let’s end with a song that’s been going viral. LiAngelo Ball’s “Tweaker” is such a huge hit that Uncle Shaq can’t stop dancing to it. Let me know once you’ve gotten the song out of your head. I’ll wait—or maybe not.