One big got to play, the other warmed the bench.
The Japan B.League debut of Kai Sotto and Carl Tamayo was supposed to be a gargantuan showdown between two of the best Filipino big men today. That much-anticipated clash never materialized, though, as the former UP Fighting Maroon never got to see action in the Ryukyu Golden Kings’ 86-78 victory over the Hiroshima Dragonflies.
Things weren’t all that bad, however, as Sotto got a fair amount of floor burn, playing a little over 18 minutes in his first game for the Dragonflies—the kind of playing time Kaiju saw in just 3 of his 27 games for the Adelaide 36ers in Australia’s National Basketball league.
Even better, Sotto showed flashes of brilliance on his way to 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 blocks. The 7-foot-2 beanpole even stuffed three-time PBA Best Import Allen Durham twice, using his condor-like length to deny the bruising American. Sotto also scored in transition a couple of times and made two freebies after grabbing an offensive rebound in the fourth quarter of a tight game.
Sotto’s debut was by no means spectacular, but it appears he showed enough promise to maybe get the same minutes in the Dragonflies’ succeeding games—if not more. In that case, getting more playing time will do wonders for Kaiju, whose ultimate goal is still to become the first Filipino to make it to the NBA.
Tamayo, meanwhile, will likely have to wait his turn with the Golden Kings, who are, at 30-9, among the better teams in the Japan B.League. They also have a deep big man rotation led by the aforementioned Durham and the highly physical Jack Cooley.
The Golden Kings will return to action next Wednesday, March 15, against the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins, which means Tamayo might get to play opposite Gilas teammate RayRay Parks Jr. The Dragonflies, on the other hand, will next take on the Kyoto Hannaryz, also on March 15.