The Utah Jazz headlines are dominated by Lauri Markkanen trade rumors, but their young talent got in plenty of work during summer league. They won two of their three games in Salt Lake City before going 3-2 in Las Vegas. The rebuilding Jazz had most of their regular roster when they hosted, but left some of those players behind for Vegas.
The rookies took advantage of that opportunity. Tenth overall pick Coby Williams averaged 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 block in 30.1 minutes per game. He shot over 54 percent from the field during the four-game sample but was not the Jazz’s most impressive player in Sin City.
Many predicted Kyle Filipowski to be a first-round draft pick and some had him going in the lottery. The seven-footer slipped in the draft and wound up headed to Utah with the 32nd selection. Teams are regretting that after his performance in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Kyle Filipowski proving to be a draft steal
The big man averaged 16.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. He got better as the event progressed and was dominant by the end. Filipowski had a monster double-double in Utah’s final game that featured plenty of plays fans do not normally see from a seven-footer.
No. 32 pick Kyle Filipowski shines with a double-double as the @utahjazz win in their #NBA2KSummerLeague finale!
— NBA (@NBA) July 22, 2024
26 PTS | 11 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL | 3 3PM pic.twitter.com/kKUsNkRi3C
Getting a center capable of dribbling, passing, and shooting is a game-changer. Filipowski showcased all of those skills in Vegas, including making eight 3-pointers over 21 attempts. His offensive game is ready for the NBA and playing him next to Lauri Markkanen creates some nightmare matchups for the opposition.
There are questions about Filipowski’s defense. Can he move well enough to switch on smaller players? Does he offer the rim protection Utah wants at the five? Is Filipowski capable of defending modern fours? Those are things the 20-year-old will have to answer when the competition improves, but there was plenty to like in Vegas.
It is even more impressive when fans consider big men usually struggle during summer league. Victor Wembanyama shot just 40.7 percent from the field and 30.0 percent on his threes in Vegas last summer. All of the top-selected big man over the last four years had issues in their first run. Filipowski played well and appeared ready to crack their regular-season rotation immediately.
His five games in Las Vegas are a small sample size, but it was an impressive start for Kyle Filipowski. He will be behind Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen to start his first NBA season, but the sky’s the limit for the 20-year-old. Jazz fans will certainly keep a close eye on his development.
Filipowski is in pole position to be the top player selected in round two, and the big man may go down as the steal of the draft. Utah Jazz took a positive step in their rebuild this summer and are building something special.