Adelaide 36ers center Kai Sotto. Photo from Adelaide 36ers
MANILA, Philippines—Kai Sotto will sit out the rest of the pre-season tournament NBL Blitz in hopes of preserving the young center ahead of the regular competition of Australia’s premier basketball association.
Adelaide head coach CJ Bruton said he wants to manage Sotto’s health in preparation for the longer 28-game grind of the NBL season.
“Right now, I don’t think we’ll be seeing him anymore between now and the rest of the preseason games,” said Bruton in a press conference organized by streaming app TapDMV Thursday.
“It’s more of managing him and making sure that he’s healthy and able to do everything and get across the line of ticking all the boxes that we want every player on our roster to do and make sure that everyone’s healthy.”
Sotto played just one game in the Blitz tournament wherein he finished with seven points, five rebounds, and one block in 20 minutes of play as a starter.
The 7-foot-3 beanpole, however, sat out the the 36ers’ next two games.
Nevertheless, Bruton said that Sotto is still putting in the work in practice and in the gym.
“Every day, he definitely puts in the work with our strength and conditioning coach and when he’s at practice he’s competing and doing everything that’s asked of him as well,” said Bruton. “As you know throughout the season, it’s not where you start but it’s how you finish.”