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The Utah Jazz have begun the 2024-25 season as one of the top teams in the Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey sweepstakes. All three players have a shot to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and the Jazz have certainly made an early case for most lottery chances. But despite the Jazz's early season record, they have had a surprise or two on their roster.
Part of being a rebuilding team is finding players who fit the rebuild timeline. Not every player selected is going to be a star, and that's where good front offices separate themselves from the others. While the Jazz have an opportunity to add a potential franchise player in this draft, they have a few on their roster who are going to be part of the future.
One of the biggest ways a team's front office can separate themselves from others is finding rotational NBA players in the second round of the draft. The Jazz have done a decent job finding good players in the first round such as Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh and Taylor Hendricks before his injury. Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier are projects who also project to be solid players.
But the Jazz have a second round pick on their roster this season who has been their biggest surprise so far.
Kyle Filipowski is a steal for the Jazz
Coming into the 2024 NBA Draft, Kyle Filipowski was projected to be a potential first round selection. But when draft night arrives, there are always players who end up slipping for whatever reason, and that happened to the former Duke standout.
The Jazz were able to draft Filipowski with the No. 32 overall pick. NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, was where he first showed why he could be a potential steal. In five games, he averaged 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals with splits of 45.5 percent shooting from the field, 38.1 percent shooting from the three-point line and 70 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Coming into the regular season, Filipowski wasn't in the Jazz's rotation. But due to injuries in the Jazz frontcourt, he was forced into duty during only the fourth game of the season. He responded with 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot while shooting 5-of-10 from the field, in a little over 24 minutes.
That performance earned Filipowski a starting role, and he's shown why he is the Jazz's biggest surprise so far. In the 14 games that he's suited up in, he's averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists with splits of 51.3 percent shooting from the field and 30 percent shooting from the three-point line. He's playing around 19 minutes per game and has made eight starts so far.
Filipowski recently suffered a leg injury though that's kept him out of the Jazz's last six games. He could be nearing a return to the lineup though as he was recently assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars, the G League affiliate of the Jazz, the team announced on Thursday.
The assignment is likely just a continuation of his injury rehab, and Filipowski will most certainly rejoin the Jazz rotation if he is ready to play. His development throughout the season is going to be interesting to watch. The Jazz got themselves a solid player in the second round, one who fits the team's rebuilding timeline.
