The Utah Jazz will have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, one of which being the involvement in second-year center Walker Kessler and his future with the club. The Jazz have made it clear they're not the biggest fans of Kessler. While reports state that the front office believes in him, after watching how Will Hardy has mishandled him all season, it's fair to say that maybe not everyone is as high on him as you'd want him to be.
Personally, Kessler could be a great center for the Jazz if given the opportunity but due to the lack of commitment it seems, it does look like the Jazz could draft another center during the NBA Draft. Arguably the two best centers in the draft, depending on what skillsets you're looking for are either Duke's Kyle Filipowski or UConn's Donovan Clingan. Both young men led their teams further into the NCAA Tournament, with Clingan getting the UConn Huskies into the Final Four, and the Blue Devils have a showdown with NC State on Sunday to see if they go to the Final Four.
Both teams have had impressive runs and a lot of their success has revolved around their two centers. While both are necessary, each of the two centers offers something different for an NBA team interested in them. Clingan is very much a similar type of player in the same vein as Kessler. A defensive-minded center who patrols the paint is very useful in put-back buckets and can even force his way to the basket for some easy dunks. He's not going to stretch the floor and if we're being fair, as wonderful as Clingan is, Kessler is arguably the more athletic of the two.
That takes us to Filipowski, who is not as physical as Kessler or Clingan and is a better overall talent. He's got a touch with the basketball either man has, and can easily find passing lanes for his teammates. He's got a soft touch around the rim, and the ability to stretch the floor. Against Houston in the Sweet 16, Filipowski hit 3-5 three-point shots in the game. If he can continue to develop that stroke, he may be able to play power forward in the NBA, thus making it possible to keep Kessler.
Filipowski has also shown an ability to play defense at every level of the court. He can go inside, mid-range, or even to the perimeter; to vastly different results. But the fact that he can rotate like that is something to consider.
Neither man is the obvious pick for the Jazz, but if you want to maximize Kessler, you draft Filipowski, and if you want to move on from him, you draft Clingan.