Sotto stays ready, still hopes to play in ‘23 Summer League

By Randy Caluag

NBA adopts opping penalty, expands coach’s video challenges

NEW YORK—NBA team owners approved rule changes on Tuesday creating an in-game flopping penalty and expanded coach’s video replay challenge starting next season, the league announced.

The NBA’s Competition Committee—which includes players, coaches, referees, club owners, team executives and representatives from the National Basketball Players Association—unanimously recommended both changes to the full board of team owners.

The new flopping rule, adopted on a one-season trial basis, says that when a game official calls a player for a flop—a motion deliberately trying to entice a referee foul call on another player—an offending player will be issued a technical foul and the opposing team will be awarded one free throw attempt.

A player will not be ejected from a game based on flopping violations.

Referees will not be required to stop play to call a flopping violation, allowing teams with an offensive opportunity to keep going until the game’s next natural stoppage.

Referees can call both a foul and a flopping violation on the same play.

But even if he doesn’t play, the young Sotto has vowed to maintain his positive outlook and mature mind -- which are signs of a true professional.

“I’m a professional. I just focus on things I can control. Obviously, I can control myself, and my emotions. Just gotta stay ready,” Sotto told Filipino reporter Homer Sayson in an article at SPIN.

“As a professional, you don’t get the chance to play in every game. Just gotta stay healthy, keep the positive mindset, that positive attitude and we’ll all be good,” he added.

After not suiting up in the Magic’s first two Summer League games at the Thomas and Mack Center, Sotto has remained upbeat that he finally gets the chance to show his skills.

The Magic have two remaining Summer League games.

But after several practice sessions with the Magic, it looks like Sotto doesn’t need the exposure anymore as it appears the coaching staff already has a plan for the 7’3” Filipino center.

Either he’s in or out.

Sotto’s ability has already been proven with his stints in several professional leagues in Australia, Japan, and the FIBA World Cup qualifying games.

And never forget, too, that Sotto has already tasted how it feels to compete against legitimate NBA players when his Australian team, Adelaide 36ers beat the Phoenix Suns, 134-124, in an NBA pre-season game in October last year.

In that game, Sotto carried himself well by scoring 11 points, including a pair of slams, hauled two rebounds, dished out one assist and stole the ball twice in only 18 minutes of play.

In his first NBA exposure, Sotto even fared better than what NBA’s top pick Victor Wembanyama did in his first NBA summer league debut as the French player struggled with a 2-for13 shooting for 11 points that went with eight rebounds, five blocks, and three assists, while tying for the team’s lead in turnovers (3) in 27 minutes of action.

PH jumps 111 notches to No. 56 in FIVB men’s world rankings

THE Philippine men’s team quietly but strongly pulled off a major accomplishment by leapfrogging 111 notches from No. 167 down in the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) world rankings to No. 56 following two victories at the ongoing Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup for Men in Taipei.

“This is one big, major achievement for our men’s indoor volleyball team,” Philippine National Volleyball Federation president Ramon “Tats” Suzara said on Wednesday.

“This is by far the most significant accomplishment by our men’s team and the PNVF just under three years into its establishment as the national federation,” Suzara added.

The Philippines is one of only three of the 222 FIVB member nations which made a major stride in the world rank- ings. Macau jumped from No. 165 to No. 58 and Mongolia from No 164 to No. 59 with both countries also competing in Taiwan.

The national men’s team currently vying in Taipei is composed of Vincent Raphael Mangulabanan, Noel Michael Kampton, Kim Harold Dayandante, Vince Patrick Lorenzo, Ryan Andrew Banez, Kim Malabunga, Jayvee Sumagaysay, Steve Charles Rotter, Adrian Villados, John Vic de Guzman, Joshua Umandal, Edward Camposano, Bryan Bagunas, Marck Jesus Espejo, Rex Emmanuel Intal, Madzlan Gampong, Lloyd Josafat, Cyrus de Guzman, Manual Sumanguid III and Chumason Celestine Njigha.

The team is led by PNVF director Rod Roque and handled by Brazilian head coach Sergio Veloso and deputy coaches Odjie Mamon and Rommel Abella with team manager Jerome Guhit, strength and conditioning coach Melchidedek Samonte and statistician Mark Gil Alfafara. The PNVF also sent FIVB referee Janus Dumaran to Taiwan.

The nationals beat Macau, 25-21, 2515, 25-14, last Sunday and Mongolia, 22-25, 25-21, 26-24, 23-25, 15-12, on Monday to reach the final 12 of the AVc Challenge Cup for Men at the University of Taipei Hall.

The Filipinos went on to give powerhouse Bahrain a scare before yielding, 25-20, 25-17, 25-23, at the resumption of play on Wednesday morning.

Also competing in Taiwan are the host country, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, India, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.