When NBA voters fill out their ballots, Kyle Filipowski’s 30-point, 18-rebound, five-assist performance in an overtime win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night might just be the thing that pushes him into an All-Rookie second-team selection.
What’s more, he achieved those numbers while going against Donovan Clingan, the Blazers rookie who was selected No. 7 overall in the 2024 draft.
That’s a night Filipowski remembers very well. He was in the green room at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 26, expecting to hear his name called so he could walk across the stage, put on a team hat and shake Adam Silver’s hand.
And there was good reason for Filipowski to expect that. He was largely considered to be a top-20 pick. The league’s decision makers are polled heading into the draft, and based on who they believe will be picked in the first round the league invites the consensus top-25 players to the green room on draft night.
But, instead of hearing his name called, he watched as 30 other players were picked and left the first night of the draft feeling disappointed. He was quietly and unceremoniously picked No. 32 overall the next night by the Utah Jazz.
Filipowski admits that there’s some extra juice when he is playing against other rookies that were picked ahead of him, and he’s proud of himself for getting to a point where he’s now in consideration for an All-Rookie team honor, despite his fall on draft night.
“I remember how long June (26) was for me, how long of a night that was,” he said. “I’m not surprised this is where I am now and I’m proud of myself for persevering through that. Because, my dream of walking across that stage was shattered, and I’m never going to be able to get that back.
“But, I’m not going to feel sorry for myself anymore. I went through a period where I did and I learned that that wasn’t helping me.”
Instead, Filipowski committed to a season of hard work and proving himself. He played in the G League, was patient in waiting for opportunities, tweaked his shot form midseason, welcomed criticism and willingly admits that he has a long ways to go before reaching his potential.
That said, even as an incredibly green and raw player, Filipowski’s versatility and potential has been clear since Day One. Jordan Clarkson played a pickup game with Filipowski one time before saying that the rookie was “nasty,” and anointing him as the real deal.
The rest of his teammates on the Jazz have echoed those sentiments based on what they see in practice, even if not all of it has shown on the game court. But there have been plenty of in-game examples of Filipowski’s skill.
He has shot the 3-ball at a 38.4% clip since Feb. 1, has proven to be a versatile defender who is not afraid of defending in space. He is a good passer and is good at reading closeouts or understanding when to dribble, pass or shoot. He definitely needs to gain strength, but that’s something he knows and understands will help him to be a more potent rim threat and post defender.
Slow but steady progress is the perfect way to describe Filipowski’s rookie season, and he’s come so far from the long night when his name wasn’t called in the first round of the draft. But, importantly, a 30-point performance is only the beginning in his eyes.
“I definitely know the potential I have,” he said. “It’s good being able to go into this offseason, (knowing) things I can work on, things I can get better at to raise that bar for myself. But I’m also still gonna be patient with myself too, because I know I’m just finishing my rookie year, and I still have a lot to learn.”
