Kyle Filipowski has had an excellent month of March for the Utah Jazz. The 21-year-old has averaged 16.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on 51.8% shooting from the floor and 40.6% from three-point range. Because of injuries on Utah’s front line, most of this production has come with Flip playing center for the Jazz.
This begs the question: what position is the rookie best suited for in the long term?
Listed at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, Filipowski has the size and versatility to play multiple positions in the frontcourt. When drafted, the noise coming from the Jazz was that they viewed him as a forward, similar to what Lauri Markkanen has been for them.
This is where he spent much of his time on the court for the first few months, but following the trade of Drew Eubanks, he’s been deployed at the five more in recent weeks.
This change in role has unlocked Flip offensively. He has benefited from more space on the court at the five, opening up catch-and-shoot opportunities (he’s taking nearly five three-point attempts per game in March) and giving him more chances and room to attack closeouts.
putting the 𝗣𝗢𝗪 in Filipowski 💥 pic.twitter.com/TqYWFVGM80
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 13, 2025
Flip’s unique skill level shines when the big man puts the ball on the floor. He’s got a good handle and can drive either way. He’s quicker than you expect and makes sudden, decisive moves to get an angle on defenders and finish at the basket or find an open teammate. His high-level passing has popped throughout his rookie year.
When playing center, Filipowski generally has a quickness and skill advantage over his defender. Add in the team playing four other floor spacers, and it makes sense why the young big man has thrived.
Flip came out hot & stayed hot on his way to 17 points in this one 📹⤵️#PlayerHighlights presented by @zionsbank pic.twitter.com/V73hUxV3s6
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) March 8, 2025
So, while offensively, things have gone well, the Jazz struggle defensively with Filipowski playing center because they don’t have a true rim protector.
While his rebounding has been quite good, if we’re being honest, he doesn’t profile as someone who will ever be a great defensive presence at the rim.
He can, however, slide his feet and stay in front of matchups on the perimeter. Because of this, it makes sense why the Jazz felt it best for him to spend most of his time as a forward and slide to center when the team wants to exploit certain matchups.
Combine these factors, and you have the makings of a promising forward who can punish smaller defenders or a small ball five who can create mismatches on the perimeter. That’s a valuable piece to have.
Overall, the NBA has moved towards positionless basketball, and Filipowski is yet another example of this.
He’s versatile offensively, being able to play both inside and out. He’s uniquely skilled with his handle, which allows him to attack mismatches. Flip is also a good rebounder, giving him the ability to punish smaller defenders offensively and finish possessions defensively.
While he’ll likely never be a full-time center, his versatility should give the Jazz lineup flexibility in a way they haven’t had in the past. The more ways that you can play, the harder it is for teams to beat you in the postseason.
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