MANILA, Philippines— Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams has high hopes for the Filipino basketball program following the breakthrough of full-fledged Filipino Kai Sotto in the NBA G League.
The first-year head coach, who led the Suns to a perfect 7-0 outing in the NBA bubble, believes that Sotto's accomplishment, along with those of Filipino-Americans like Jalen Green and even Jordan Clarkson, may give way to bigger opportunities for Filipinos in the NBA.
"I think any time you have one or two guys break through and you just continue to work and continue to have the enthusiasm and the environment, at some point, you could end up being like Canada," Williams said of Filipino talent during the NBA Philippines' Republika Huddle last Tuesday.
Williams said that though Canadians are now a staple in the NBA, with more than a handful of players already in the league like Denver's Jamal Murray, and the New York Knicks' RJ Barrett, it wasn't that way before.
According to the Phoenix coach, that Sotto's and Green's breakthrough could be the catalyst for Philippine basketball to head into the same direction.
"There was a time... when there weren't that many Canadians who had pushed themselves into the level of high-level college players and now... guys coming from Canada... it's starting to happen like every year. But what they started with, one or two guys back in the day," he said.
"If you guys continue with your programs and camps and seeds of fundamentals... now that you have a few examples you might end up having your own pipeline. And that's exciting," he added.
While Sotto's future with the NBA has yet to be determined, the 7-footer, and his teammate Green, are definitely crucial for the NBA dreams of Filipino cagers.