'It's a rotation': Kai Sotto benched in Orlando’s NBA Summer League opener

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey – Kai Sotto logged a DNP (did not play)-coach’s decision in his much-anticipated NBA Summer League debut as the Orlando Magic lost to the towering Detroit Pistons, 89-78, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time). 

“It’s a rotation. [He] should get some fun next game,” Sotto’s agent, Tony Ronzone of Wasserman, told Philstar.com after the loss. 

Magic Summer League coach Dylan Murphy stuck with a 10-man rotation alternating the five-year veteran D.J. Wilson and their G League center Robert Baker II at the slot. It backfired against the Pistons’ starting twin tower — 7-foot James Wiseman and 6-foot-11 Jalen Duren —as the Magic were clobbered on the boards 46-30. 

Wilson and Baker II could only combine for five rebounds, while Wiseman and Duren strung together 19 boards. 

The 19-year-old Duren led the Pistons with 17 points and eight rebounds. Wiseman had a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds) and two blocks in a dominant showing by the Pistons, who led by as many as 12 in their Summer League opener. 

It was a tight game until the Magic lost control in the pivotal third quarter, where the Pistons outscored them 21-13 and controlled the boards 11-6. 

No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson stuffed the stats sheet for Detroit with seven points, nine boards, three assists, one steal and three blocks. 

Two-way player Kevon Harris paced the Magic with 21 points, while Anthony Black, the 6th pick of this year’s draft, had an all-around game with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. 

Orlando’s other lottery pick, Jett Howard, added eight points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals but struggled from the field on 3-of-13 shooting. 

Sotto’s next chance will be against his former Adelaide 36ers teammate Mojave King and the Indiana Pacers. 

Game time is set at 8:30 p.m. on Monday (8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Manila time) on NBA TV. 

--

Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for the New York-based website Heavy.com.