Kyle Filipowski

Filipowski spent the two years of his college career at Duke, starting each of his 72 appearances for the Blue Devils. He thrived as a freshman, averaging 15.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field. His progress wasn't linear, but he experienced an uptick in several categories as a sophomore, posting career-high marks in points (16.4), assists (2.8) and blocks (1.5) per game, seeing an improvement in his shooting (55.9 percent from the field) while cutting down on turnovers (2.1 per game compared to 2.5 as a freshman). Filipowski was named to the 2022-23 All-ACC Second Team and the 2023-24 All-ACC First Team. He was also named the 2023 ACC Tournament MVP while being part of the 2023-24 Consensus All-American Second Team. A seven-footer who can play both power forward and center, Filipowski seems like one of the safest picks in the 2024 NBA Draft among players widely projected to be in the lottery due to his high floor and elite basketball instincts. He has an excellent assist rate, has proven to be a solid shooter with a range that stretches beyond the three-point line and owns a decent offensive game near the rim, where his efficiency plays at his best. There are question marks as to how he'd handle the league's physicality, but he seems to have a strong enough frame since he's a 248-pound seven-footer. He's not the most athletic big man out there, but he compensates for the lack of athleticism with above-average passing and an ability to stretch the floor. Filipowski needs to improve defensively, particularly as a rim protector, and he's an absolute liability from the free-throw line, but overall, the positives outweigh the negatives when determining his potential as a prospect. Given his above-average ballhandling and passing skills for a big man, he could be compared to Kelly Olynyk and Santi Aldama among current NBA players. His game still needs to be worked on, but he seems good enough to be part of an NBA rotation in his rookie year. If he improves his shot creation, Filipowski could see an uptick in his potential, as he's drawn comparisons to Lauri Markkanen as a best-case scenario. That would be a borderline All-Star player at his best. Even if he doesn't reach that ceiling, Filipowski should be good enough to have a lengthy career in the NBA.