It may not have been talked about a lot, but Group A of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers is practically the “group of death.”
They have probably the two best teams. Fortunately for us, the top three will move on, and Gilas already whipped Guam.
The East Asia group is a war, but these are teams that we have, and probably can beat. Australia and New Zealand are ironclad.
Gilas beat the Tall Blacks only once, and have infamously never beaten the Boomers. In the Gilas win over New Zealand had Justin Brownlee leading with 26 points, and Kai Sotto tallying 19 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
If Kai Sotto can’t make it, where will they get that production?
Practical Choice
The addition of Quentin Millora-Brown is a literal lifesaver. Gilas still has AJ Edu, and recently crowned Best Player of the Conference JuneMar Fajardo would still need to play significant minutes.
However, none of them are Kai Sotto, and the Kaiju has recently improved his play. His ACL injury definitely hindered him, but recovery from ACL has usually been fruitful.
There are some conspiracy theories that Kai Sotto can actually play, but since they are going to play Australia and New Zealand, it was better to let him sit out. Besides, they are most likely part of the top three of Group A (unless Guam beats any one Australia and New Zealand–now that’s a real conspiracy).
It’s likely that Kai Sotto will sit out the next two games here at home, and it’s a chance to gauge how much Millora-Brown can contribute.
The sad part is that our odds to win would be greatly diminished. However, it is not worth risking Kai, as the national team needs him in June, in the “away” games in July.
James Harden and Donovan Mitchell: Championship Quest
Two of the most prolific guards in the world, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell, have not won an NBA championship. Will they finally win one together?
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the top team in the East last year, and were projected as a contender this year. However, emerging star Darius Garland was injured most of the season, and that took its toll.
Enter the LA Clippers who decided that they would rather mail this season away, and blow up the aging team that they assembled over the past seven years. It’s going to be a tough rebuild, and Kawhi Leonard is stuck in the middle.
LA’s other team traded their second and third best players, but there were plenty of times that Harden was carrying the load on offense. Now, he’s with Mitchell, another ball-dominant guard. It’s not an ideal pairing, but these two have matured, and are likely to understand that they would need to compromise in order to win.
Will it happen? Will the Cavs surge enough to take control of the volatile East? The big issue is that the Boston Celtics have the exact same intention.
Exciting Class of 2026
As NCAA Division 1 College Basketball is swiftly peaking, match-ups between the top 2026 NBA Draft prospects have faced each other. The recent edition of the historic rivalry between the Duke Blue Devils and North Carolina Tar Heels featured Cameron Boozer, a first tier prospect (top 3) and Caleb Wilson (the consensus 4th pick, but in my opinion, it’s already a Big 4 including him).
Boozer had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Wilson had 23 points and 4 rebounds. The Tar Heels dealt Duke only their second loss in a classic buzzer beater.
The son of former Duke Blue Devil and Chicago Bull Carlos Boozer is displaying a smarter game, and he has all the tools to contribute at the next level. However, Wilson is more athletic and exciting.
Darryn Peterson also had a match against AJ Dybantsa in a face-off of top 3 prospects. Peterson drew comparisons to the GOAT, Michael Jordan.
The prospects are getting better, and that’s why the tankathon is in full force in the NBA. Most teams that traded away their stars feel like they have a “license to lose.”