Raptors Prospect to Know: Duke's Versatile Center Kyle Filipowski

The Toronto Raptors will have to take a long look at Duke's versatile big man Kyle Filipowski who projects as a bit of a tweener at the NBA level

Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Kyle Filipowski (30) controls the ball against North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Mohamed Diarra (23) in the second half in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Filipowski is a bit of a tweener.

A decade or so ago, someone like Filipowski would have slotted perfectly into the traditional power-forward spot. The 6-foot-11 Duke sophomore would have been at home playing in the mid-range and taking on defensive assignments of the league’s old-school forwards.

But these days, the league has changed.

The modern NBA power forward is quicker than ever before and centers in today’s games are either perimeter-playing so-called ‘unicorns’ or bullies in the paint with the kind of size Filipowski is lacking. It’s part of what makes Filipowski’s draft range so unclear ahead of the NBA draft later this month and could have the 20-year-old going somewhere around the No. 19 pick of the Toronto Raptors.

Offensive Profile

Who Filipowski is as a shooter is probably the biggest offensive question ahead of the draft.

He shot 34.8% from behind the arc this past season but was a 67.1% free throw shooter, and converted just 28.2% of his three-pointers as a freshman. By all accounts, his shot looks smooth, but the results have been inconsistent.

Inside the arc, Filipowski is a more traditional forward who has a soft touch around the hoop and can playmake a little out of the post. He averaged 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 55.9% from two-point range.

"He can do things offensively in my mind that only a select number of people on this planet that are seven feet tall or 6-11 or taller can do in terms of his touch around the basket, his instincts as a scorer — just a natural scorer," said Matthew Giles of Blue Devil Country.

He has an effective spin move that allows him to score in the paint at a high level, but occasionally he battles turnover issues, averaging 2.3 per game over his career with the Blue Devils.

Defensive Impact

The defensive end is a little more complicated for Filipowski who doesn't have the size to take on the league's bigger bigs but lacks the speed to really defend on the perimeter.

His wingspan measured a tad smaller than his height meaning his 8-foot-11 standing reach and 230-pound weight leave him a little undersized in most matchups against big men. As a forward, though, Filipowski doesn't quite have the quickness needed to move his feet against more versatile perimeter players.

Duke played Filipowski alongside Dereck Lively II during their freshman seasons together before Filipowski was asked to shoulder the starting center role this past year. It was a transition that, Giles said, left the Blue Devils a little too thin inside without the size to really defend the rim.

"He’s a work-in-progress defender but he has plenty of potential there," said Giles who noted Filipowski is likely a better fit as a forward defensively.

Raptors Fit

The Raptors could certainly use a young big man to pair with its core for the future and a floor-spacing center like Filipowski would fit nicely alongside Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley

Stylistically, Filipowski isn't all that different from Raptors center Kelly Olynyk who has developed into a very good three-point shooter and post playmaker but can be picked on defensively due to his relative lack of speed and strength. Toronto pursued Olynyk this past year as the kind of big man the organization wanted to pair with Barnes, and Filipowski would give the Raptors that kind of player to lock up for the long term.

That said, Filipowski's lacks an obvious position and Toronto is already light on defensive difference-makers. If his inconsistent three-point shot doesn't become a weapon and he can't take advantage of his versatility as a center, it's not hard to see Filipowski maxing out as a bench role player. If he puts it all together, though, Filipowski could be another one of the league's intriguing floor-spacing bigs.