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What happened to Kyle Filipowski in the NBA Draft?
Celtics fans anxiously watched the entire draft to see who they would take with the 30th and last pick of round one. Many thought they were going for Duke’s 7-footer for various reasons, but if so they “flipped” on Flip.
It was another year where the Tar Heels whiffed in the first round and are hoping Harrison Ingram and maybe Armando Bacot go tonight in round two. But a consolation prize was that Duke only had one first-rounder, outstanding guard Jared McCain.
The last pick may have come down to Filipowski or Baylor Scheierman for the newly crowned world champions. And based on how much better he did at the NBA combine compared to the controversial Duke big man, the Creighton star shooter got the nod.
Either player could fill an important role for the Celtics, who have 38-year-old Al Horford as their primary back-up to injured-prone Kristaps Porzingis. They also want to lengthen their bench, where behind Horford were Sam Hauser from Virginia and Payton Pritchard from Oregon, both long ball marksmen with deficiencies on defense.
Filipowski fell off from his first season at Duke, when he won ACC Freshman of the Year and was preseason pick for Player of the Year as a sophomore. But even with two surgically repaired hips, Flip did not challenge UNC’s R.J. Davis for the honor. His scoring and field goal percentage improved slightly but his free throw shooting and rebounding were down. He did make first-team All-ACC for the second season.
Scheierman was unanimous first team All-Big East along with Devin Carter, who was Player of the Year and the 13th pick in the NBA Draft. He averaged more points than Filipowski and more rebounds, and shot much better from 3-point range. He is not the back-up big man the Celtics are still seeking, but the 6-6 lefty will add much needed depth.
As a 23-year-old transfer from South Dakota State, Scheierman worked hard to become a great major college player and will be a prototypical Celtic in practtice and games to help their attempt to return to the NBA Finals. Filipowski would have been the third big man behind Porzingis and Horford, slowing his development as a pro.
Wherever Flip goes in the second round tonight, his first-night snub is a shocker to Duke and the ACC. He was not among the most popular players in the league and college basketball last season, involved in several in-game and post-game incidents that added to his snarky reputation.
The Celtics could have used him to provide help in the paint, but in what was a weak draft for college players Scheierman’s climb into the first round was a more pleasant surprise for their rabid fan base.
Featured image via Duke Athletics
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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