Someday Wednesday night time, throughout the first spherical of the NBA Draft, Kyle Filipowski’s lifelong dream will come true.
The one query is when. After two standout years at Duke — together with this season, when the 6-foot-11 massive man led the Blue Devils in scoring (16.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) en path to first-team All-ACC honors — Filipowski is predicted to be chosen as early because the late lottery (picks 10-14). The Athletic’s NBA draft skilled, Sam Vecenie, has Filipowski going No. 25 in his newest mock.
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The Athletic spoke to Filipowski final week about his predraft course of and the largest takeaways from his time at Duke, together with loads of missed layups by coach Jon Scheyer. The interview has been evenly edited for grammar, readability and size.
You had the chance to go professional final summer season and certain would have been a first-round decide even earlier than your hip surgical procedure. (Filipowski had surgical procedure in April 2023 to appropriate malformed hip joints above each legs. The process, which required a six-month restoration, prohibited him from any predraft exercises final offseason.) What made this the precise time?
After my freshman 12 months, I used to be in a extremely good place … however I didn’t really feel like my time was up but at Duke. I felt like I nonetheless had stuff to complete out. And despite the fact that we weren’t capable of win the nationwide championship, I nonetheless had an important two years there, and I really feel much more ready, mentally and bodily, to go skilled.
All the time love 💙 pic.twitter.com/LF1W1iFY8K
— Kyle “Flip” Filipowski (@kylefilipowski) April 12, 2024
You point out being extra ready bodily. Clearly, you had the surgical procedure and thrived afterward. However mentally, what did you be taught this 12 months that higher ready you?
Simply maturing so much and realizing the fact of issues. There’s much more to basketball than simply taking part in now, in comparison with once you had been somewhat child. So simply making an attempt to recollect why you’re right here on this place within the first place and why you wish to do that — due to how a lot you like taking part in basketball. Having that realization and that psychological fortitude, being ready for lots of different issues to come back with basketball however nonetheless remembering that that is what I really like doing and that’s what I wish to hold it like. Attempting to be as ready as I can for the NBA way of life with all of the touring and the way it’s run in another way than faculty, after all.
So what has life been like for the reason that season ended?
I spent most of my time in Chicago, doing two to 3 exercises a day — one at all times being capturing, after which lifting, doing explosive agility stuff. After which a ability exercise, as effectively. So it’s simply a variety of that Monday via Saturday, after which Sunday off. That’s just about what it’s been, simply basketball. I’ve began to appreciate, except for having to care for extra of these enterprise issues, how rather more free time I do have now that I don’t have to fret about faculty.
What have you ever been making an attempt to showcase?
The largest factor is how good of a spot I’m in proper now bodily. Put up-surgery, there’s all these questions on my hips, however I’ve been as clear as I may be as a result of I’ve nothing to cover with that. So exhibiting how good of a spot I’m in now and the way nice of a spot I may be in shifting ahead, being in the precise program now that I can even have an offseason to work out, somewhat than simply going straight into the season. …
A couple of different issues: making an attempt to point out my defensive versatility, guarding the perimeter, smaller guards. Exhibiting off my IQ, how I scan the ground and make performs. Then additionally my 3-point capturing. That’s an enormous factor groups are : if I can area the ground for them.
You’re certainly one of three prospects — alongside Duke guard Jared McCain and Windfall guard Devin Carter — on this season of Extra time’s “Draft Home.” Jaren Jackson Jr. from the Memphis Grizzlies is internet hosting. Has he or any lively Duke professional given you any recommendation getting into the league?
I really did get some good recommendation from Jaren on the Draft Home: Don’t again down. In fact you’re going to be examined so much in sure methods, and also you’ve acquired to earn the respect of your teammates and everybody, so don’t again down — but additionally, ensure you slot in effectively. Keep in mind that you’re a part of this crew, and don’t attempt to do an excessive amount of. That’s one of many largest issues is studying your spot and studying your house and going out with the mentality to kill each recreation. Now it’s turning right into a job, and also you’ve acquired guys who don’t need their job taken from them, and also you’re making an attempt to get your job to go longer.
We adopted Jared McCain, Kyle Filipowski, and Devin Carter as they chase their LEAGUE DREAMS ⭐️
Draft Home drops July twelfth 🍿@Seen @kingcarter2225@kylefilipowski @J_mccain_24 pic.twitter.com/t3lAIRR8OA
— Extra time (@additional time) June 25, 2024
Can he provide you with any tips about the professional recreation? I do know you’ve advised me you watch a variety of Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz. Anybody else?
There’s a variety of bigs now which are beginning to grow to be extra versatile. I’ve talked about Markkanen and (Nikola) Jokić, however I may even have a look at Jaren’s recreation and take bits and items from that, or possibly a Brook Lopez (from Milwaukee). All these guys do one thing so effectively, and but they’re so completely different. What I can do may be very distinctive and could be a little bit of every of their video games, so to be trustworthy, it’s about watching as many individuals as I can and studying.
As you’ve gone via these exercises and the mix, is there anyone factor about your recreation you suppose will translate the simplest to the NBA?
In all probability passing, playmaking, simply facilitating. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see as a result of I’m positive there gained’t be as many doubles. Will probably be good — I’ll shed a tear when that occurs. (Laughs)
Have you ever had your starstruck NBA second but with anybody you’ve met or performed towards in exercises? Or, who’re you essentially the most excited to play towards?
That’s a very good one as a result of I’m positive I’m not pondering of them now, however after I’m taking part in towards them and truly see them, I’ll be like, whoa.
However I’m undoubtedly wanting ahead to taking part in towards Jokić. I wish to see how massive a few of these guys are in individual in comparison with me. I feel that’ll most likely be the starstruck second; if I’m subsequent to (the Philadelphia 76ers’) Joel Embiid, I’ll be like, holy s—. Wemby (The San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama). So I feel simply evaluating myself to how massive they’re, somewhat than simply watching them on TV.
You had been Scheyer’s first dedication after he was named head coach, and also you mentioned then that you simply needed to not solely bridge the eras at Duke — from Mike Krzyzewski to Scheyer — but additionally construct one thing sustainable. How effectively do you suppose you probably did?
I wish to suppose I helped the concept that Duke is greater than only a one-and-done place. Particularly with myself returning, but additionally Tyrese (Proctor) being a junior, Caleb (Foster) being a sophomore and the opposite guys who returned after my freshman 12 months. In fact, you’re nonetheless going to have these one-and-dones, however I undoubtedly suppose that now, Duke — with the gamers it has coming in — it’s giving the coaches extra to work with. Now they do have gamers they will construct up with and work round, after which possibly they should add a pair transfers.
You had been on Scheyer’s first crew, too, so no person knew what that will really seem like. How did your experiences at Duke examine to your expectations?
It lined as much as my expectations fairly effectively. That freshman 12 months was most likely so much tougher as a crew simply because it was coach Scheyer’s first 12 months as head coach, and it was a brand-new crew of like 12 new gamers. That was tougher. It was a protracted course of to get the place we ended up, you recognize? And there have been a variety of bumps within the highway. My sophomore 12 months, there have been nonetheless these bumps after all, however there was extra of that basis to construct on, in order that helped much more. That’s what made us go to the Elite Eight — and if it wasn’t for (NC State’s) DJ Burns, the Last 4. (Laughs)
That leads me to certainly one of my favourite questions for guys who’re leaving. Who had been the three hardest gamers you performed towards in faculty?
DJ Burns (Jr.), for positive. (Purdue’s) Zach Edey. These are the highest two. I’d most likely say (North Carolina’s Armando) Bacot, simply because he’s an older man and he’s been via faculty a very long time, so he knew the right way to play and get round issues. Like, he was a really good faculty participant. Undoubtedly these three. (Clemson’s) PJ Corridor was fairly good, too.
Alongside these traces, what are your favourite moments or wins at Duke? I assume the ACC title recreation your freshman 12 months is up there.
Undoubtedly. The ACC run was wonderful — not even simply the championship, however the semis towards Miami. That recreation was insane, and we performed our greatest basketball to be able to win that. These had been some nice moments, after which additionally towards Virginia (within the title recreation). The UNC recreation at UNC my freshman 12 months, that was an important one. After which I’d most likely say Georgia Tech for certainly one of my favourite performances this 12 months, at residence. (Filipowski had 30 factors, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, two blocks, two steals and no turnovers in Duke’s 84-79 win and in addition matched his profession excessive with 4 3-pointers.)
I can’t actually consider one play to be precise, however there have been some actually good performs the place we’d actually join. There’d be three, 4, typically all 5 guys concerned, and it’d be an important defensive cease resulting in transition offense. Simply performs like that, these had been at all times nice. In opposition to Wake Forest my freshman 12 months, and we beat Wake Forest, Tyrese and I had somewhat two-man motion going for 3. Issues like that.
Finest Scheyer story?
There are occasions the place it’s a really severe second in observe, and we’ve tousled — like, we messed one thing up in observe, so he’s mad at us, yelling at us. Then he takes the ball to point out us what we have to do, and it ends with a layup — however then he missed the layup. (Laughs) However he’s mad, so you’ll be able to’t giggle. You may’t say something. There are occasions the place it’s good vibes and he misses the layup, after which we will clown him somewhat bit. However there was one time I keep in mind the place he was actually upset, we weren’t having a very good observe, and as he was exhibiting us, he goes to put it up and misses — and I’m making an attempt so laborious to not giggle as a result of I do know it’s a severe second and I can’t. (Laughs)
How do you wish to be remembered at Duke?
I need followers to consider me as one of many gamers to kick off the subsequent technology for Duke basketball. Like, being coach Scheyer’s first commit, being a part of that first crew, after which the second crew, I used to be there to assist begin constructing the brand new system and tried to start out it off very well for future years to come back. Simply giving all I had, competing my butt off every single day, it doesn’t matter what — even when we misplaced within the second spherical towards Tennessee. So competing and being one of many gamers to kick-start every thing for this new wave of Duke basketball.
(Picture of Kyle Filipowski and Terrence Edwards Jr.: Elsa / Getty Photos)