It took a while, but it looks like Kyle Filipowski may have found his footing during the Summer League. In his latest performance for the Jazz, he scored 13 points on four-for-eight shooting. He added five rebounds and two assists and overall looked like the stretch big he was hyped up to be.
Jazz summer league coach Sean Sheldon marveled at Filipowski's performance.
"His versatility is going to be key for us moving forward into the coming season," Sheldon said, per KSL.com's Ryan Miller. "We can put the ball in his hands, put him off ball; he's good in transition. He can knock down catch-and-shoot 3s. So just keep working with him and developing him to get comfortable in all these different situations."
FIlipowski impressed Sheldon so much that he later compared the Jazz draft pick to a former Jazz big man.
"It reminds me of Kelly (Olynyk)," Sheldon said. "As he gets more comfortable, he's going to continue to make plays that you go, 'Wow!'"
Olynyk played on the Jazz for a year and a half and has been in the NBA for well over 10 years. Even though he has not proven himself a star, his skillset as a stretch big who has all the little things down has played a part in why he has managed to get paid eight figures a year at 33 years old.
Why the Jazz should be thrilled if Kyle Filipowski turns into Kelly Olynyk 2.0
Again, Olynyk has never been nor ever will be an All-Star. However he's proven himself a useful asset on multiple playoff teams. Even though he hasn't played on a playoff team since 2020, Olynyk's skillset makes him useful no matter who he plays for.
Filipowski was selected at No. 32, so if he projects to be a player much like Olynyk has been, that is insanely good value knowing how rare it is for a second-rounder to pan out well enough to be in the rotation,
He was already hailed as a second-round steal when the Jazz drafted him. It will be on him to prove as such when the 2024-25 season starts. However, his feel could make him a solid connector for the Jazz's next youth movement.