Utah Jazz Rookie Big Man Finding Stride in Win Over Mavericks

The Utah Jazz selected Duke big man Kyle Filipowski in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. The Jazz saw him hit his stride against the Dallas Mavericks in the teams big win.

Nov 14, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski (22) and Dallas Mavericks guard Klay Thompson (31) battle for the ball during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In the 2024 NBA Draft, the class of prospects were consistently beat down. However, Duke big man Kyle Filipowski routinely held a first round grade, until the bitter end. Weeks before the June draft, big boards and mock drafts began to see the center plummet.

On draft day, that became a reality as the 6'11 center had to wait until day two of the 2024 NBA Draft process to hear his name called. At that time, the Utah Jazz continued their philosophy, zigging as everyone zags. Filipowski marked the third selection in the 2024 NBA Draft as the team stock piled former highly thought of talent taking swings on youngsters.

The Jazz have thrusted Filipowski into their rotation and saw the Duke big man put up his best game as a member of the team on Thursday. The Jazz pulled off the massive win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA's lone game of the slate.

Dallas surrendered 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal to the big man who shot 1-for-1 from beyond the arc while only missing two shots inside the arc.

The Utah Jazz sit at 3-8 after this win and should continue to lean into playing the kids. The Jazz are not going to threaten for a play-in spot, but they should earn valuable developmental minuets for their youngsters.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.