Former Duke Star Kyle Filipowski Falls Out of First Round in 2024 NBA Draft Despite High Expectations

Heading into the first night of the 2024 NBA Draft, former Duke All-American front court player Kyle Filipowski was almost universally tabbed as a lock to be selected somewhere in the middle of the first round.

But after 30 picks were made on Wednesday night, the 6-foot-11, 230 pound forward was still on the board despite being invited to the Green Room.

Following a sophomore season in which he earned First Team All-ACC honors and was a Concensus Second Team All-American, Filipowksi declared for the NBA Draft. The decision made sense after he led Duke in scoring (16.4), rebounds (8.3), blocks (1.5), steals (1.1), total field goals (220) and total free throws (112) as usually a top producing player on a successful Duke team finds his way into the guaranteed money round of the draft.

But that wasn’t the case on Wednesday night as NBA teams prioritized long term upside from international players or more raw athletic prospects.

Now, as the draft will enter its second day, the narrative surrounding Filipowski will change as CBS Draft analyst Cameron Salerno noted.

«It was very surprising that Filipowski fell out of the first round entirely,» wrote Salerno. «Filipowski is regarded as one of the best offensive players in this class and ranked No. 16 on CBS Sports’ big board. Whoever drafts Filipowski in the second round will be getting one of the most talented 7-footers in the class.»

Former head coach Jon Scheyer agreed with that characterization of his starting big man, posting a final pre-draft thought to the program’s social media.

«He is incredibly skilled personnel. He is like a guard. Couldn’t be more excited for him,» Scheyer said.

So what was it about Filipowski that scared teams off throughout the night? It’s tough to say, but the former five star prospect did endure multiple surgeries during his time in Durham including two major procedures on his hip following his freshman season. Additionally, teams were reportedly concerned with a perceived lack of polish on his interior move set, a sometimes streaky and overused perimeter shot, and a lack of elite quickness and rim protection on the defensive end.

During the combine stage of the Draft process Filipowski measured out at 6-foot-10.75 with a wingspan of just 6-foot-10.5. He also tested in the bottom half of the class for both leaping and foot speed.

As one college head coach who faced Duke this season told TheAthletic’s Davis Aldridge:

«I think he’s a good player. My big thing for him, for that league, is: What position? Where he struggled this year was when he played against bigger guys – not necessarily height, but guys who had the physicality to stand up to him. He didn’t have Lively this year so he wound up playing the five. Offensively, he can shoot it, he can put it on the floor, and I was really impressed with his passing this year. He showed that. But the defensive part is the part that would concern me. One of them dudes is gonna knock the s— out of him, and what is he gonna do then?»

Regardless of why he dropped out of the first round, Filipowski now has a chance to forge a path forward as second round selection.

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