The Utah Jazz trading John Collins felt like a certainty before it happened. And then it happened. While the primary reason the Jazz traded Collins was that he didn't fit with the team's current plans, it also opens up the opportunity for Kyle Filipowski to prove himself.
Filipowski was one of the bright spots in what was one of the worst Jazz seasons in franchise history. It took little time for him to show that the Jazz had a draft steal in him. At no point did he hit a rookie wall, but because he was competing for minutes with Collins, Lauri Markkanen, and Walker Kessler, Filipowski's opportunities were limited.
With Collins gone, Filipowski's role with the team should certainly increase. Unlike say, Cody Williams, he has shown how good he can be on the floor. He's a good shooter, a good connector, a solid athlete, and isn't too bad on the boards for a stretch big. The Kelly Olynyk comparisons weren't too far off, but if anything, they may have been underselling his ceiling.
Like the Collins trade, Filipowski's role increasing also felt inevitable. He had proven too much for Utah not to give him a bigger role. Sure, he still has to compete for minutes with Markkanen, Kessler, Jusuf Nurkic, and Kevin Love (?), but luckily, there won't be as much demand for playing time from the Jazz's big men as there was last year.
However, even the best rookie have had sophomore slumps, and Filipowski may not be immune to that despite how NBA-ready he already looks.
Filipowski is promising but flawed
Filipowski definitely impressed to the point that no one should be upset that he will likely get a bigger role next season. For a second-round pick, the Jazz couldn't have asked for much better than what Filipowski gave them.
But the flaws are definitely there. Filipowski's strengths stem from how good he is offensively, but defensively, there's a lot of room to grow there. What may stop the Jazz from putting their complete faith in the second-year pro next season will be his defensive shortcomings.
This was talked about during Utah's first Summer League game a few days ago, but Filipowski is not a rim protector, and he likely never will be. For the record, neither was Collins, but the question will be what can he do to make up for that inadequacy, and who can the Jazz put next to him to negate that issue.
That's what Kessler is for, and Nurkic isn't too bad at it even if he's not what he was. That's a good start for how Utah can work around it, but he's got to prove that he is at the same level or better than Collins on that end of the floor. It's not like that's a high bar to clear, but Utah is looking for keepers.
Filipowski definitely gave them every indations that he is one, but what would really help them sleep better at night is knowing he's a dependable player on both sides of the floor. At minimum, he just can't be someone their opponents can regularly exploit.