Does Kyle Filipowski’s Offense Make Him Duke’s Best Draft Prospect?
Do you know who the leading scorer through 11 games is for the loaded Duke Blue Devils? Dariq Whitehead? No. Dereck Lively II? No. How about Mark Mitchell or Jeremy Roach? No and No.
At just under 15 points per game John Scheyer’s team is led in scoring by the 7-foot big man, Kyle Filipowski.
Filipowski got plenty of attention out of high school, ranked No. 7 by espn.com, but more often than not it was fellow freshmen, Whitehead and Lively II, that were getting the publicity.
The Westtown, NY native has burst onto the college basketball scene through non-conference play with impressive play, specifically on the offensive end of the court.
3-Point Shooting
Filipowski is currently shooting 35% from behind the 3-point line on three and a half attempts per game.
He currently has a good Cerebro rated 3PE of 70 which is good for second on his team behind only Roach.
The most impressive aspect of 3-point shooting is that the shot diet is not limited to simple catch and shoot attempts. Yes, Filipowski can be used as the trailing big man or in pick-and-pop play types but he has also shown more than that.
There are plenty of attempts to be found where Filipowski is able to put the ball on the deck to create his 3-point attempt. He has also shown ability to knock down mid range shots coming off screen which gives you optimism about an eventual ability to do so from behind the arc, as well.
Overall Scoring
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Filipowski’s offensive game is his ability to leverage that 3-point shooting into attacking defenders off the dribble.
His ability, at 7-feet, to attack from the perimeter with a solid, and at times creative handle, is not something you often see from college freshmen his size.
Filipowski has an intriguing back to the basket game. This may not be so good that it is something an NBA team would see as a focal point of his offensive game but it is surely good enough to be used when mismatches occur.
There are a few limitations and areas for growth in his offensive game.
He is not the most explosive athlete which he will have to continue to learn to counter with craftiness, increased strength and use of angles.
Adding that strength will go a long way in improving his overall finishing numbers around the rim and post up game but those could also increase with better use of his left hand around the basket.
So, is Kyle Filipowski Duke’s best NBA draft prospect after 11 games of the college basketball season? That title still belongs to Dariq Whitehead but he is gaining ground. As things currently stand on the tankathon.com big board, Whitehead, No. 13, sits just three spots ahead and Filipowski has leapfrogged the fellow Duke 7-footer, Dereck Lively II.
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