[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni. The initial report is from the 2022-2023 season, but the player withdrew from the 2023 draft class. Updates based on the 2023-24 season are at the bottom.]

Kyle Filipowski
Frame: 6’11″ 248 lbs
Position: Center
Team: Duke
Year: Sophomore
2024 Draft Age: 20
Stats via sports-reference.com

Offense

Filipowski’s biggest strength is his versatility. He uses size and change of pace to slash to the rim. Filipowski is a skilled finisher with both hands around the basket, shooting 61.5 percent at the basket on 96 attempts through 17 games, per barttorvik.com. 

Utilizing jab steps and rip-throughs to get past defenders, he can put his man on his hip and use his physicality to reach his desired location. He is also a quality post scorer, using his size to punish smaller defenders on switches or playing with patience and poise against players his size,  lulling his defender asleep and spinning off them.

Filipowski isn’t an explosive athlete, which can lead to floater attempts and long, contested two-point field goal attempts. He has shown intriguing signs as a shooter, notably at the line, where he has hit approximately 80.7 percent on about 4.8 attempts per game.

His shooting and guide hand placement is good, but his release is low. That works from the line but can cause issues behind the three-point line. His lower release leads to low arc and back-of-the-rim misses. The percentages reflect where he needs to improve at 26.3 percent on 57 attempts. 

At only 1.4 assists per game, he seems to thrive on finding his teammates on the perimeter for open shots and may have untapped skills as a facilitator. He’s capable of throwing cross-court passes, clearly more than just a transition passer, pushing the ball up and finding one of his teammates filling the lane.

Defense

Filipowski is also a versatile defender, capable of playing within various schemes. He is comfortable playing in drop coverage as the big man, keeping a healthy distance between the roll man and ball handler. Filipowski can also come to the level of the ball screen and use his size to block the ball handler’s path from said ball screen. Despite his versatility, he can be attacked at times, as he is liable to be beaten in space by smaller, quicker guards due to his foot speed. Additionally, he can struggle to guard post players due to his lackluster presence around the rim.

As a help defender, Filiposwki does an excellent job navigating weak side sets and sticking with his man, rarely falling asleep from the weak side. He is even better when one to two passes away, excelling at picking off passing lanes and initiating fastbreaks for his team. He is currently averaging 1.2 steals per game with a 2.7 steal percentage, which is well above average for a big man. He can struggle to get out to the perimeter to contest shooters with his footspeed, as mentioned above. 

Filipowski is also a strong defensive rebounder. He has good timing on the glass and uses his physicality to create space around himself to rise and grab the board, often snagging the rebound in traffic.

Rim protection is an area of growth for Filipowski, averaging 0.8 blocks per game with a 3.2 block percentage; his lack of vertical athleticism is a significant reason, as he cannot meet above-the-rim finishers at the basket to adequately contest their shots.

Looking Ahead

At 6’11, Filipowski is essentially a Swiss Army knife on both sides of the floor. Defensively able to play in multiple pick and roll schemes will provide value as a help defender and on the glass. Filipowski’s lack of rim protection does hamper his defensive upside. However, he still projects as a slight plus on that end of the floor. 

Offensively, he can attack mismatches off the dribble and play in the post. He can operate with finesse and aggression when the moment calls for one or the other. Making the proper tweaks to his jump shot mechanics to be a consistent shooter from behind the arc will be essential for him to be a positive impact player on the offensive side of the ball. However, it is hard to envision him not being a versatile role player in the NBA. 

—Gabriel Mendez

Update

Filipowski improved in his sophomore season, earning first-team All-ACC honors. He improved his three-point shooting percentage (from 28.2 percent last year to 34.8) and his passing (1.6 assists to 2.8). Filipowski improved his strength and efficiency, as shown by his rim-finishing numbers (from 58.1 percent to 63.7) and field goal percentage (raised from 44.1 percent to 50.5).

He excels in ball screen situations where Flilipowski can either pop for the three or short roll and finish with either hand (or spray out to open shooters and cutters). Filipowski is comfortable on the low block, punishing mismatches or making the right read off the double. He can attack slow-footed bigs off the dribble or use an array of spins and pivots to attack smaller players. Filipowski is also a connector who keeps the ball moving, cuts, relocates and can execute dribble handoffs. He can struggle to finish over length and athleticism and sometimes may force the action and throw up a wild shot. He must work to limit careless turnovers when passing to cutters or dribbling through traffic.

After shifting positions from forward to center, Filipowski’s blocks more than doubled from last season (0.7 to 1.5 per game). Although he is not an elite rim protector, he is disciplined and uses verticality when contesting shots. Filipowski is a strong rebounder and always tries to box out his man. He has made strides in lateral movement but still gets beat off the dribble by quicker guards. He is a smart off-ball defender who knows where to be and is unafraid to put his body on the line and attempt charges. Filipowski has good hands and can deflect passes and strip players when loose with the ball. But sometimes, he can be late to contest or a spot leading to a foul or an easy basket for the opponent.

NBA teams will love Filipowski’s offensive versatility, which allows him to operate in various spots on the floor. He has improved on defense but must prove he can hold up against quicker and stronger players. Filipowski’s versatility, IQ, and feel for the game should make him a rotation player from day one.

—Diego Torres