Jazz increase front court participation by the draft of Kyle Filipowski in second round

The Duke center is reminiscent that remind Kelly Olynyk and gives the Jazz a player-making big that can extend the floor.

By Sarah Todd

Jun 28, 2024 12:38 AM

Kyle Filipowski has said many times that he has tried to model his game after Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen . Serendipitously, the two will now be teammates.

The Jazz selected Filipowski as the sophomore center at Duke in the 32nd pick in 2024’s NBA draft.

“Just how skillful he is and how mobile and how well he moves at that height is something I definitely try to model my game after, because I think that’s what makes him such a special player,” Filipowski spoke of Markkanen Thursday evening. “Just having the opportunity to play with Markkanen and gain knowledge from him on a daily basis I’m incredibly thankful for this chance. I’m eager to make every moment of.”

There’s plenty of an opportunity to Jazz enthusiasts to feel ecstatic over the new addition of Filipowski to the team. Remember the time when the Jazz were playing with Kelly Olynyk on the team together with Walker Kessler and Markkanen -the frontcourt trio which gave the Jazz the ability to play with a variety of players as well as an terrifying length? It’s not too far off to imagine that Filipowski could bring the same amount of versatility to Jazz’s frontcourt when it comes time.

While Filipowski played in the center position at college, he isn’t regarded as a typical rim-running, protecting the rim big. However, in the similar vein as Olynyk Filipowski is a skilled help defender who’s surprisingly proficient at staying in front of his opponent. He is a ball-playing pro and is able to do everything that makes stretch bigs a valuable asset in the current NBA.

At 6’11, Filipowski can dribble, shoot, pass, or play either of the sides of a pick-and roll, sets excellent screens, is an excellent cutter, is able to read the floor and can pick-and-pop. Filipowski has a strong NBA frame, and as he builds it his potential, he could be a formidable player on the rim, however, he needs to improve his skills to be able to compete against bigger forwards in the middle.

“We came into today, hoping to draft Kyle Filipowski,” Jazz vice president of analytics Shane Fenske said on Thursday. “We were thrilled we were able to accomplish it. He’s an extremely versatile 7-footer who is able to shoot, pass and has a huge impact on winning for a fantastic Duke school.”

There was speculation that Filipowski was going to be removed from the draft board by the end of the initial round, which included everyone in the Jazz front office. Certain reports have stated that Filipowski was anxious during the draft process. However, it appears that the Jazz front office didn’t seem to be worried about anything and didn’t notice any red flags in Filipowski.

“We do deep background on all the draft prospects to make sure that we’re ultimately comfortable selecting them,” Jazz vice president of basketball strategy Steven Schwartz said. “We’re extremely happy to welcome Kyle be a part of the Jazz and we’re very comfortable with everything. We’re thrilled about what he’s become as a person, and we’re not worried.”

In his second year playing for the Blue Devils, Filipowski averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 34.8 percent from the 3-point line which was an increase of over his shooting percentages from the beginning of his rookie season in which he made just 28.2 percent of his 3-pointers.

The Jazz have been studying Filipowski for several years and they believe that his development in the shot is genuine and will be able to adapt well into the NBA. Filipowski will need time to develop into a solid and reliable NBA player. However, at initial glance, it appears the Jazz have a great deal with an early second-round selection.

By Sarah Todd

Sarah Todd covers the NBA as well as the Utah Jazz for the Deseret News.