2024 Draft Prospect Spotlight -- Kyle Filipowski

[Jamaaliver]

2024 NBA Mock Draft

Atlanta Hawks: Kyle Filipowski



Position: PF/C
Size: 7'0", 248 lbs
Age: 20

There are too many high-floor and NBA-starter indicators for Kyle Filipowski's weaknesses to scare NBA teams away. A true 7-footer, he's now at 39.7 percent from three, averaging 9.0 boards and 3.1 assists. Even a worst-case scenario—which envisions a frontcourt shooting threat, excellent passer and presence on the boards—could justify lottery interest. The flashes of open-floor ball-handling, shot-blocking and foot speed could be bonus value that would surely result in Filipowski turning into one of the class' most useful players.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

A poster over on the Draft Board put together a comparison board of similar sized players as Kyle F.

An Olynyk caliber player is a realistic outcome for Flip...one I hadn't much considered.

These are stats for each guy during their pre-draft season, except Jokic I used his draft and stash season (when he was about same age as Flip is now) for a more apples to apples comparison:

[King Ken]

A poster over on the Draft Board put together a comparison board of similar sized players as Kyle F.

An Olynyk caliber player is a realistic outcome for Flip...one I hadn't much considered.

These are stats for each guy during their pre-draft season, except Jokic I used his draft and stash season (when he was about same age as Flip is now) for a more apples to apples comparison:

He's not quite as skilled or the shooter Kelly is but his defensive instincts is by far better than others listed.

[raleigh]

I have to admit that I don't like this player type. I don't think he'll be able to defend or shoot well enough to be a starter.

[Jamaaliver]

I have to admit that I don't like this player type. I don't think he'll be able to defend or shoot well enough to be a starter.

It's an understandable concern.



It's also why Domantas Sabonis fell out of the top 10 of his draft.

And why Alperen Sengun fell out of the lottery of his draft.

And why Nikola Jokic fell out of the first round of his draft class.

And why 2 NBA Teams gave up on Lauri Markkannen before he developed into an All Star.

[raleigh]

It's an understandable concern.

Now name the 50 guys with that same prototype who were correctly not drafted in the lottery.

[Jamaaliver]

Now name the 50 guys with that same prototype who were correctly not drafted in the lottery.

Time will tell. And you seem pretty adamant about this particular player/archetype.

If it's alright, I'll refer back to this conversation as his career plays out...

#PredictionsList

[Jamaaliver]

Kyle Filipowski | 7'0" PF/C | 20 years old| Duke

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[The Atlanta Hawks] want to be able to play with five shooters spaced along the 3-point line. The biggest impediment, typically, is that it’s hard to find centers who can dribble, pass and shoot with legitimate size for the position. In Filipowski, the Thunder Hawks would have an opportunity to get another player who fits that mold along with *Onyeka Okongwu.

Filipowski has played like an All-American this season, averaging 17.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting about 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3. He carries Duke through long stretches of games with his ability to catch the ball on the block and score, but it’s his well-rounded perimeter game that will most appeal to pro scouts. Filipowski can shoot from the perimeter, attack heavy closeouts and bring the ball up the court.

I also think Filipowski’s defense is underrated. The Blue Devils have a top-25 defense, and he usually positions himself well, contests enough shots and can slide his feet a couple of times on an island to stay with wings and even some guards. In my opinion, Filiposki to the Thunder is a perfect blend of scheme and player.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

Yikes!

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[Jamaaliver]

2024 NBA draft rankings

11. Kyle Filipowski | PF/C | Duke

7-0 | Age: 20.3

Filipowski has put together an All-American-caliber season and has helped to address some of the NBA's concerns about his game, making strides as a defender at his size and proving more mobile and versatile than many expected. While limited a bit athletically, he can create matchup problems at his size due to his skill level and should have good utility on the offensive end provided he continues to improve as a shooter. He isn't a fit for every team -- he's likely better suited for a half-court-oriented style that is slower paced -- but supplies unique qualities that will warrant consideration early in the draft, depending on what a team needs.

ESPN Insider

[Jamaaliver]

2024 NBA Mock Draft

9. Atlanta Hawks: Kyle Filipowski

Position: PF/C
Size: 7'0", 248 lbs
Age: 20
Pro comparison: Santi Aldama

Scoring mismatch isn't the draw to Kyle Filipowski anymore. It's the versatility—a specific combination of shooting, passing, physical finishing and switchable defense that separates him from most 7-footers and can give a frontcourt a different feel or advantage.

The flashes of transition ball-handling or half-court face-up moves into drives are a bonus and allow Filipowski to generate his own offense in space. But his real value comes from making his lineup better with floor-spacing, post passing, cleaning up inside and his ability to slide and guard around the perimeter.

Bleacher Report - 3.2024

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

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Kyle Filipowski NBA Draft bio

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Height: 7-foot-0
Weight: 230 pounds
Birthdate: Nov. 7, 2003
Position: Power Forward/Center
Offensive Role: Big Man Connector
Defensive Role: Roamer, Interior Anchor
Projected Draft Range: 5-20

Kyle Filipowski could have been a lottery pick last year, but he opted to return to Duke for a sophomore campaign. Part of that was "unfinished business," as he said, but he also underwent double hip surgery in the offseason. The hope was that it would improve Filipowski's lateral quickness and flexibility when defending space.

So far, Flip's improvement has been pronounced. He's still the same player at heart, but he has assuaged defensive concerns while shouldering an even bigger role on offense. He is one of the best players in college basketball, leading the charge for a Blue Devils team that has a chance to go deep into March Madness.

NBA teams will take significant interest in Flip, whose skill set is tailored to the trends of today's game. He's the rare pass-dribble-shoot big man, a true 7-footer who can generate advantages on the perimeter and create for teammates.

Strengths

Spoiler:

Filipowski offers a ton of offensive versatility for a 7-footer. He can run off screens to shoot 3s, handle in pick-and-rolls, push the tempo in transition, or camp out in the post. Flip has incurred a far more robust role as a sophomore, embracing his physicality to punish mismatches in the post and fully weaponizing his playmaking chops.

Feel is an underrated attribute when evaluating prospects, and Filipowski has it in spades. He's prone the occasional lapse in judgement, but Flip reads the floor at a high level and delivers passes on a rope. He can playmake on the short roll, he can face up and create from the elbow, or he can even operate as a ball-handler in inverted pick-and-rolls. Duke gives him quite a bit of freedom; so will a smart NBA team, hopefully.

He will be best served in a connective role at the next level, at least to start. Flip should focus on spacing out to the 3-point line, tying the offense together with timely passes, and straight-line drives. He doesn't have much of a pull-up game, so his points will come primarily in the paint or behind the 3-point line.

The second year collegiate has developed a nice repertoire of post moves. When mismatched with wing players, he can put his shoulder down and score with brute force. He has some of that classic Duke nastiness to his game. He relishes the opportunity to make an impression, literally and figuratively.

The defense has really blossomed in 2024, too. Flip is racking up stocks (1.6 blocks, 1.1 steals), making a constant impact in passing lanes and regularly denying shots at the rim. He's not going to switch 1-5 necessarily, but Flip has looked comfortable guarding up in space and operating as a roamer in the paint. His activity level and effort makes up for athletic limitations. He will also draw charges, lay out for loose balls, and generally make the extra hustle play. Coaches love intangibles, which Flip has in spades.

Weaknesses

Spoiler:

Filipowski is the rare NBA prospect with a negative wingspan. He's listed around 7-foot in shoes with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, which will inhibit his rim protection at the next level. It also factors into Filipowski's offensive prognosis: he struggles to finish against length and athleticism at the rim.

It's important to monitor how "real" Flip's 3-point shooting is, too. He's up to 35.3 percent this season (as of this writing) after shooting 28.2 percent as a freshman. The form looks good and he has feather-soft touch, but so much of his value as a driver and perimeter playmaking fulcrum is reliant on teams respecting him beyond the arc. If defenses start to sag off and pack the paint, Flip's life gets much harder.

The pull-up shooting really isn't there, which circles back to the mild oddity of the Lauri Markkanen comps. Flip is mobile and a solid shooter, but he's not flying into off-balance jumpers or nailing pull-ups under duress. That can change and improve over time, but right now, he does the majority of his scoring on touch shots in the paint or spot-ups behind the 3-point line. What Flip does well, however, is leverage the threat of his floater or a strong drive to locate teammates and deliver touch passes.

On defense, Filipowski will compete hard. He can move in space, he's improving as a shot-blocker, and the awareness is there. That said, he will face new challenges against NBA speed and spacing. Teams might want to try him at the four; how well can he contain drives, navigate switches, and hang on islands against NBA-level slashers? That is all on scouts' minds as the NBA draft edges closer.

Filipowski is mobile, but he's not a switch-all big, and he doesn't have the length to maximize recovery speed or offset it perimeter lapses with elite rim protection. He falls into the 'tweener' category a bit. He should get by on smarts and effort for the most part, but there are legitimate questions.

Final summary
Few prospects in this class have performed at Filipowski's level, it's that simple. He will be 20.6 years old on draft night — roughly the same age as Brandon Miller last year — so the extra time in college shouldn't hurt much from that perspective. That is especially true this season, with such a flawed freshman class. Absent the availability of clear-cut future stars, NBA teams are sure to take interest in Flip's well-rounded skill set and the diversity of his potential impact.

[Jamaaliver]

NBA Draft prospects to watch during March Madness

Kyle Filipowski, 6-11 sophomore big, Duke

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While all Kyle Filipowski-rattled discourse is currently focused on The Trip and whether the ghost of Grayson Allen has poisoned him with Dukie Unlikability Cooties, the more relevant consideration for scouts is seeing how Filipowski fares against the top-tier offenses he’ll likely face during the late rounds of the upcoming ACC and NCAA tournaments.

Filipowski is clearly talented and productive, but the topic that warrants further scrutiny is whether his best pro position is the four or the five. Filipowski shows flashes of perimeter skill and can take like-sized players off the dribble all day, but he’s also a 31.4 percent career 3-point shooter and at 71.8 percent career from the line.

While he’s not some plodder out of central casting — he averages 2.4 steals per 100 for his career — it still seems questionable whether Filipowski’s feet can hold up on defense as a modern four. However, playing him at the five comes with its own problems; his rebound and block rates are underwhelming for a center, and he’s neither a rim runner nor a post-up masher.

The ultimate question, then, is whether Filipowski is a big more like Al Horford in that he can toggle between the four and five and play effectively at both, or whether he’s more like Frank Kaminsky and can’t quite do either. There’s only $100 million or so riding on the answer.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

Duke looked awful tonight in an upset loss to NC State.

Flip was the only thing keeping them afloat.

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[tbhawksfan1]

Looking at our projected #10 pick it comes down to either Clingan or Fili. Ware looks like a good possibility with SAC pick but maybe the option I'm most intrigued with is using those two picks on other positions and grabbing a late first or early second and adding Edey

[Jamaaliver]

His weaknesses coincide very well with Okongwu's strength's.

Kyle Filipowski | Sophomore | C/PF

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Duke’s Kyle Filipowski has put together a great sophomore campaign. The seven-footer ranks 14th on our consensus board. Size and skill are the keys to the sell. He ended the regular season shooting 35.3% from deep on great volume for a big man. If you close out hard, he can put it on the deck. After only making 50.9% of his halfcourt rim attempts last year, Filipowski got better through contact. This year, he’s made 58% of those shots. He’s improved tremendously as a passer, increasing his assist rate up to 18.4%. On defense, he’s moved with great fluidity and demonstrated better positioning in ball screen coverages. He gets a lot of steals for a big man because of his timing and anticipation.

Still, Filipowski can be frustrating at times. While he’s a better finisher this year, he’s still below where most NBA prospects his size were at the same age. Similarly, his block rate doesn’t grade out that well. He’s not a great leaper and his arms aren’t that long, so he may not be able to anchor a defense. If he’s a four, does he have the athleticism to start at that position? I’m not sure.

Ultimately, where I settle with Filipowski is that he’s good at basketball. His combination of shooting, ball handling, and passing is hard to find at his size. While I wish I trusted him more defensively, he’s leaps and bounds better than he was a year ago. If he gets hot from deep and protects the rim at a high level, it will undoubtedly help his stock. Still, there’s a firm floor for guys this tall and this productive.

No Ceilings

[Jamaaliver]

Kyle Filipowski | 7-0 | C/PF | Duke



Filipowski has played like an All-American this season, averaging 16.7 points, eight rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting about 50 percent from the field and 35 percent from 3. He carries Duke through long stretches of games with his ability to catch the ball on the block and score, but pro scouts find his well-rounded perimeter game most appealing. Filipowski can shoot from the perimeter, attack heavy closeouts and bring the ball up the court in grab-and-go situations. His passing has taken a nice leap this season, and he’s more comfortable reading the court. I also think Filipowski’s defense is better than its reputation. The Blue Devils have a top-25 defense, and he usually positions himself well, contests enough shots and can slide his feet a couple of times on an island to stay with wings and even some guards.

Filipowski is a really interesting player for the Heat because he can play next to another big, as he did last season with Dereck Lively II, or operate as a center himself, as he has this season. With Bam Adebayo Onyeka Okongwu locked in place, Filipowski would make for an interesting frontcourt complement.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

He could backup the PF and Center positions on Day One...

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