2024 NBA Draft: Duke’s Kyle Filipowki Could be Top Big Man

Fresh off an already impressive freshman season, Duke forward Kyle Filipowski could cement himself as the top big man in the 2024 NBA Draft cycle.

The 2023 NBA Draft featured a strong big man class, headlined by top pick Victor Wembanyama and his mobile, perimeter-oriented style.

To an obviously lesser degree, that style has bled into the 2024 draft ranks too, with players like Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, Perth’s Alex Sarr and more showcasing mobility and perimeter firepower in addition to traditional center tendencies.

By the time it’s all said and done, though, teams could be vying for Filipowski’s talents the most come draft night.

The 7-footer already put together a solid freshman campaign — that likely would’ve landed him the first round of last year’s draft — averaging 15.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game with moderate shooting splits. He helped the Blue Devils to a 27-9 record overall and a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. He was heralded as a potential lottery pick early in the season, but slid due to a number of reasons.

With a mostly intact Duke core set to roll out in the 2023-24 season, Filipowski will have plenty of NBA Draft eyes on him as a unique center option.

Of course, he’ll need to tune lots of his game up in the process. His shooting splits — 44 percent overall and 28 percent from beyond the arc — were nowhere close to where they needed to be last season. Especially with his lack of interior defense.

But there’s no denying that if Filipowski can find efficiency on the offensive end, and consistency defensively, he could be a strong option for several teams as a center of the future. Or, an offensive-minded power forward option.

He’ll be flanked by the likes of returnees Tyrese Proctor, Jeremy Roach, newcomer Jared McCain and more. If he can show enough improvement in certain areas, he could very well work his way back to lottery status in this draft. And potentially seal himself as one of the top big men in the class.

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