A MAJOR issue is hanging over the Gilas Pilipinas team heading into the third window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in February, as big man Kai Sotto suffered an apparent leg injury during the Japan B.League.
During Gilas’ perfect 4-0 run in two windows, Sotto has been causing problems for other countries as one of the national team’s primary scorers, alongside naturalized player Justin Brownlee.
However, it may be the national team’s time to receive troubling news, as Sotto suffered a leg injury that could jeopardize Gilas’ hot streak, given how heavily they relied on him during their November window.
With 6:20 left in the first quarter of the Koshigaya Alphas’ game against the Seahorses Mikawa, Sotto, who was posting up Zach Auguste, collapsed to the ground after appearing to tweak his left knee.
The 7-foot-3 center was seen writhing in pain, unable to stand up right away, and remained on the floor for about three minutes after the terrifying incident before being stretchered off the hard court.
Sotto, who played only 3:40 minutes, did not return to the game, but was able to return to the bench. This resulted with them losing by a small margin, 79-77, but there have been no updates on his injury as of writing time.
Will Cone add another big man?
Despite the uncertainties created by this terrible situation, Gilas head coach Tim Cone will remain with his present roster, citing that Japeth Aguilar and DLSU Green Archer Mason Amos are both ready to step up.
“That’s why we have Japeth. Japeth is there to replace any of the bigs that we have,” said Cone following Barangay Ginebra’s 93-81 victory over their sister company, San Miguel Beermen, on Sunday.
“If you can tell me there’s another big man out there that matches Japeth’s size and ability, then I’ll be happy to look at him. But we also have Mason Amos to fortify us if we lose someone like Jamie or if one of the other guards can’t play,” he added.
It should be noted that Aguilar and Amos were added to the Gilas’ squad after they dealt with multiple setbacks, including Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu, who were both nursing injuries incurred in previous tournaments.
Same team for now
Given that Gilas is prepared for the possibility of losing Sotto, Cone’s plans remain unchanged, stick to a slim pool of 12 to 15 players following the acquisitions of Aguilar, Amos, and Ange Kouame.
“I know there’s a real clamor for a bigger pool, but it’s just the way the windows are set up. The preparation time is limited so you really have to make the most of that time,” the tactician explained.
“We can’t afford to try and teach 18 or 19 players and get them into rhythm. We need to keep the roster tight so we can maximize our preparation.”
“If we had two or three months, we could consider expanding the pool, but with the way things are now, and if you talk to any national team coach nowadays, they’ll tell you it’s the same everywhere,” Cone added.
Meanwhile, it was recently rumored that Malonzo had already been cleared to play. Nonetheless, Cone and his Gilas Pilipinas team can only hope that Sotto will join them before beginning their preparations.
The national team will face familiar adversaries before moving to the FIBA Asia Cup with Chinese Taipei on February 20 and the highly anticipated rematch against New Zealand on February 23.
