Utah Jazz Rookie Among Biggest Draft Steals Per NBA Execs Poll

The Utah Jazz had some big wins during this summer's NBA Draft.

Mar 28, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) throws a pass during practice at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Through this year's NBA Draft, the Utah Jazz secured one of the better classes of rookies across the league as they capitalized on each of their three picks within the top 32 picks on the board. With Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier, and Kyle Filipowski, this set of three new rookies effectively gives this youth movement another jolt of energy as they look to build on top of their existing valuable core.

The Jazz got some great value at all three of their picks, especially so with their final selection on the board as they got Kyle Filipowski at 32nd overall. Entering the draft, he was a player who was far from being viewed as a second-round talent, yet Utah found him sitting there once on the clock during day two-- ultimately bringing the Duke big man to Salt Lake City.

It's a pick that's gotten some notable credit around the league, most recently receiving some praise during ESPN's latest executive poll concerning several NBA Draft topics.

The questions asked of NBA executives were centered around the biggest steal during the two days of the draft. Filipowski entered the fold as a player finding some consideration, coming in with two of the 20 total votes and a placement in the top 5.

Here's the full list of names within the pool for who will turn out as the biggest draft steal:

- Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards: 5 votes
- Kel'el Ware, Miami Heat: 3
- Terrence Shannon Jr., Minnesota Timberwolves: 3
- Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls: 2
- Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz: 2
- Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers: 1
- Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers: 1
- Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors: 1
- Cam Spencer, Memphis Grizzlies: 1
- One voter preferred not to answer

Filipowski comes in behind just three other prospects, and tied with Matas Buzelis of the Chicago Bulls-- a player the Jazz had ample opportunity to select at 11th overall, yet opted to go with Williams instead.

As Filipowski was seen to be a potential lottery selection on draft night, it's a bit of a shock to see him available for Utah with their third pick, yet it's a massive benefit that ended up coming to form for the Jazz. The drop into the second round could be attributed to a number of factors (potentially both on and off the floor), but the talent is unquestioned, practically making the pick at 32 a no-brainer.

His role for year one in Salt Lake City remains up in the air. Still, with the right development in place, Filipowski can soon become a nightly contributor to this rotation due to his offensive versatility, combining his inside scoring, perimeter shot, and passing to add another layer to this young Jazz unit.

After yet another solid draft from Danny Ainge and Co., the Jazz are moving at a steady and efficient pace to soon bring this team back into a true postseason contender. It won't happen overnight, but the building blocks are gradually coming into place for a positive and fruitful future in Utah moving forward.

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