Filipowski's strengths
Filipowski is a modern-day versatile big that has no true offensive weakness. The 20-year-old returned for a second year at Duke and it paid off as he was the face of a dominant program. He averaged 16.4 points on 50.5% shooting, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 blocks. He shot 34.8% from 3 on 3.1 attempts.
He’s a skilled center who can be a secondary playmaker and run DHOs. The outside shot is also a bonus as opposing defenses must respect his ability to stretch the floor. He can be used as a threat in both pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops. The jump shot looks workable but some tweaks can be made to make it a smoother process.
The 7-foot center is also a decent rebounder for his size. He’ll be a contributor for both defensive and offensive boards. He has position flexibility between the 4/5, which means he can be a size advantage for a team on the boards if matched against smaller power forwards.
Overall, Filipowski looks like one of the safer bets among lottery prospects. His playmaking and outside shot make him a versatile center, which is a hot commodity in today’s NBA. He’ll be a solid backup center with a decent shot of becoming a starter at either the PF or C position.
Filipowski's weaknesses
The defense will be the biggest question mark for Filipowski. If he can avoid being a traffic cone on that end, he should be fine. But a lack of athleticism and wingspan put a hard cap on his ceiling as a rim protector. Thankfully for him, he has a decent motor and is very agile for a 7-foot center. He won’t struggle with cement feet and be picked on in the pick-and-roll by opposing defenses.
The outside shot is also not 100% guaranteed to succeed. Even though he improved from his freshman to sophomore season, a 67% season from the charity stripe could be seen as alarming. The low volume of attempts might’ve masked his 3-point shooting last year as more of an anomaly than something sustainable.
But that’s likely a case of overthinking it. By most measurements, the outside shot should translate over to the NBA for Filipowski. If he can be more of a paint presence, he’ll be a versatile scorer.
by lebootz21
8 Comments
I think Kyle would be a better fit than Zach, but I think Zach has more upside.
This isn’t it chief.
Very mid, at this point look at Daron and Ware if we want slow players
This is 2023 highlights btw—over a year ago.
No thanks
So far, the rumors are it’s either him or Zach Edey. I think Presti is looking for size, and those are the 2 most mentioned in all the mock drafts.
I think getting him at 12 would be great value. Offensively, he’s probably the most versatile big in the draft. I love DaRon Holmes but he isn’t as good of a playmaker or as skilled of a scorer. Also, a really underrated aspect of Filipowski is he sets solid screens, rolls/pops well, and most importantly makes good decisions in said scenarios. He’s not the strongest or flashiest, but he’s highly intelligent and makes winning plays. He’d fit well next to Chet and would give the team a lot of lineup flexibility since he can slide in at the 4 or 5.
How many seasons before Shai says to himself, “I need a team that can get rebounds if I want to guarantee my legacy as a champion”