Another Duke prospect who fills a position of need for Toronto, but is he ready for the transition to the NBA? Be sure to also check out the previous scouting report on Filipowski’s teammate Jared McCain.
Kyle Filipowski | 7’0 Big | Duke | 20 years old
The Intro
Bigs are usually popular mock selections among Raptors fans at draft time. The fans usually lean in the more raw/athletic direction, but Filipowski provides a lot of ball skills offensively which slots him in that Olynyk and Poeltl archetype. I don’t know if picking a big would ultimately be the direction that I would pursue at the 19th pick, but I can imagine that Flip will be a name that the Raptors will be monitoring due to his positional fit. A 7 footer who can shoot, handle, and pass? Sounds too good to be true, right?
The Offence
Filipowski didn’t see much change in his offensive role compared to his freshman year at Duke, but his much improved shooting and playmaking abilities really opened up the game for both himself and his teammates.
Bigs who can both handle and pass at a high level are rare – and this is what makes Filipowski appealing as a prospect. He can handle the ball like a big guard and can even run the pick and roll if needed. He’s made some eye opening passes during his career at Duke and it’s expected he’ll be asked to continue growing his playmaking skills in the NBA.
Even when he’s not the centrepiece of an offence, he makes clean reads and keeps the ball moving – a skill that’s increasingly important if your team is playing Darkoball and highlighting players like Scottie Barnes.
His shooting is good — much better than several other bigs in this class — though he’s not quite at the level where teams will just set him up on the perimeter and ask him to heave like Myles Turner. One would expect him to take a couple shots from deep per game as a rookie with the rest of his diet coming from the paint.
His post game improved from his freshman year as well – and he showcased a wide variety of moves from spins, drop-steps, and fakes which turned into quite the reliable offensive play for Duke. I don’t hate Flip’s post game but it’s certainly not the best of the bigs that’ll be available in this range. He’s no Zach Edey in the post. His handle and soft touch are pluses that will help him become more reliable in this area, however.
The Defence
Filipowski is a tweener at the 4 and 5, making it difficult to assess what his position would be on defence. As a 7 footer with a negative wingspan, it’s tough to imagine him being a full time defender at the 5. At the same time, he’s not the most agile on the perimeter making him less ideal for defending the 4. So what can you do?
Duke used Flip as one of the anchors of their defence this past year and to his credit he improved at defending the rim. The advanced defensive numbers paint a pretty picture, but watching him in real time can reveal some of the cracks in that canvas.
I haven’t been the biggest fan of his decision making and there are still some real concerns with him defending the rim at the next level. For a player of his size, he should’ve been blocking shots at a much higher rate in college ball.
He plays with effort on defence so I’m not the most concerned with his ability to give a damn. He draws a lot of charges and likes to use his hands to break up passing lanes.
He can be pretty physical and developed a reputation as a dirty player at Duke. I think that the Raptors could use someone who’s a bit of an enforcer but you certainly don’t want that to be Flip’s only dimension to his defensive game, because then you just have a player who specializes in fouling out.
I think ideally you’d have to play him as a 4 or a small-ball 5 in most scenarios. If you’re relying on him to be a full time 5, someone in your scouting department messed up somewhere. If you can put an actual good defensive big beside him in the paint, maybe you can hide his weaknesses well enough where he can focus on letting his offensive skills shine.
Brendan’s Take
Flip’s nickname is fitting because while I was scouting him, I found myself flipping back and forth on whether or not I thought he was a first round NBA prospect. I can understand the appeal: bigs who can playmake, handle, and shoot are becoming an incredibly valuable asset in today’s league.
It would make sense to develop a player like Flip under Kelly Olynyk, since you would want him to develop similar habits – especially defensively. We’re seeing how well Olynyk fits into Darko’s scheme and if the Raptors want to draft a big this year, I think it would make sense to pick someone with a more varied skillset than a typical athletic rim runner who doesn’t really do much on offence.
I really like what Flip can provide on offence, but it’s that defence that’s giving me pause. What position does he slide into, and can he stay on the floor to be worth a pick at 19? Unless they’re star-level offensive players, bigs with poor defensive impact often have short-lived careers in the NBA.
Ultimately I think Filipowski is a fun prospect. Would I love the pick? I think there will potentially be better options. Would I hate the pick? Not really; I’ll end up having Filipowski in the early 20’s on my big board.
Stay tuned for Monday’s scouting report where I’ll highlight my personal choice if the Raptors were to target a big man.
