Duke Blue Devils star Kyle Filipowski is a proficient, versatile massive man who will help house the ground and affect successful on the subsequent stage.
Filipowski is extensively thought of one of many prime gamers at his place on this class. After averaging 16.4 factors with 8.3 rebounds and a pair of.8 assists per recreation as a sophomore, he was named as a consensus second-team All-American.
He advised For The Win throughout a current video interview that he has the distinctive capability as an enormous man who can dribble, go, and shoot.
“It offers groups so much to do with me. I’m very adaptable. I’m very coachable,” Filipowski stated. Regardless of the crew wants me to do, I’m going to have the ability to do it simply due to that uniqueness in my abilities.”
The previous Duke star measured simply wanting 6-foot-11 in socks on the 2024 NBA Draft Mix. His shuttle run (2.93 seconds) was close to one of the best amongst all gamers at his place.
His versatility throughout his collegiate profession places him in distinctive firm as a top-tier prospect.
“I’m very disciplined with what I must be doing to be able to take my physique to the following stage to be able to play on the NBA stage,” Filipowski defined. “I’m excited for the spacing simply to increase my vary on 3-pointers as a result of I do know that’s going to assist so much with my passing and my facilitating as nicely if I get that extra harmful for groups.”
This interview has been condensed and edited for readability.
Watch Episode 2 of Prospect Park, a video sequence that includes future NBA gamers delivered to you by USA TODAY Sports activities and For The Win:
How useful will or not it’s to have a completely wholesome offseason?
That’s going to be enormous. Such as you stated, proper after we misplaced within the event my freshman yr at Duke, I received double bilateral hip surgical procedure two weeks later, if that. That was a very arduous choice for me to make as a result of I knew I wasn’t going to have an offseason to develop and take off however finally, it was one of the best choice for me as a result of now I’m feeling improbable with the place my physique is at and I’m tremendous excited to now have that offseason to get stronger and simply work on my physique much more now. Even now, each day, my physique is getting higher than it was. It’s not even at its full peak but. So having this full offseason goes to be enormous for me and I’m wanting ahead to it.
What ought to NBA groups learn about you?
I’m not even at my fullest potential. I’m not even at my finest but. That comes with physicality and my ability set, after all. I believe a whole lot of gamers can say that however for me, my upside is a complete lot extra due to that hip surgical procedure. I’m nonetheless getting higher from that each day. So the strides and leaps I can take with that, they’ll get a man that’s going to be a harmful participant that loves competing and loves taking part in the sport. These are the most important issues for me.
How does your basketball IQ affect successful?
I’m an enormous learner of the sport. I like watching basketball. I like watching the playoffs proper now and seeing and studying all of these items that gamers are doing. It’s simply so thrilling for me. I do know what I’m able to and clearly school is a complete completely different type of play than the NBA and I really feel like my type of play fits the NBA so a lot better. With that IQ coming into play, having the ability to facilitate and with the spacing and simply studying and reacting, the protection can be a lot simpler in my view with my IQ.
What’s your very best function within the NBA?
I believe what I like to do is simply house the ground. I believe that opens up so much for myself and for my teammates. Beginning on the perimeter, that offers me the flexibility to drive the ball and kick it out to the shooters and even go it off to the 5 man like a Dereck Seemingly. Doing that at my measurement and likewise having the ability to house the ground and let the 5 man go to work inside or let the guards assault and facilitate, they usually don’t have to fret about an additional defender as a result of my defender will keep on me due to my 3-point capability as nicely. That’s the form of stuff I’m wanting ahead to.
What are a few of your objectives?
Undoubtedly going proper into this yr is Rookie of the 12 months. I don’t suppose that’s out of my attain in any respect. If I ought to play the best way I’m able to, there isn’t any query I ought to be in that dialog. However finally, wherever I’m going, I simply need to assist that crew win. Profitable is a very powerful factor for me and I do know that with what comes with that’s these particular person accolades and simply having the ability to do this and work for these varieties of objectives is essential to me.
How would you charge your competitiveness?
I’d say an 11 out of 10. I’m so aggressive relating to taking part in and successful. I by no means need to lose and if I fall quick, I’ll go proper again at it. So simply bringing that competitiveness and that persona to a crew can be massive. That’s simply one thing that makes me such a particular participant.
How would you describe your persona?
I’d say it’s a really joyful however passionate individual. Clearly, in case you do the correct issues taking part in in a aggressive recreation, you will get me fired up. However on the identical time, simply being a really joyful man and having fun with the method and embracing all of it as a result of that is what I like to do each day.
