Here’s an interesting draft day story.
The NBA had 24 prospects in the green room during Wednesday night’s first round of the NBA Draft, and all but two of them heard their names called.
This exclusive invitation is typically extended to those viewed as potential first-round picks, but it isn’t a guarantee.
A notable example this year was A.J. Johnson, who wasn’t invited to the green room but was selected 23rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks after spending the past season playing in the NBL for the Illawarra Hawks.
Conversely, an invitation to the green room doesn’t ensure a first-round selection, as evidenced by former Duke five-star recruit Kyle Filipowski.
Despite being a second-team All-American and the former ACC Rookie of the Year, Filipowski was not taken in the first 30 picks, a development that ESPN’s Jonathan Givony found surprising.
“I was shocked that Kyle Filipowski, invited to the green room, is still sitting here waiting to hear his name called,” Givony said on The Lowe Post podcast with Zach Lowe. “I got to think the Toronto Raptors need to look hard at him at 31. This guy is seven feet tall, he can dribble, he can pass, he can shoot, he’s not a bad defender, he’s competitive.”
Givony suggested that off-the-court issues might have affected Filipowski’s draft stock. “The workouts weren’t great, people tell me there were question marks about the interviews,” he explained. “They said he was nervous. He didn’t make shots at the pro day. What’s going on with his girlfriend? This is all nonsense. It’s hard to find a seven-footer like Kyle Filipowski who is this skilled. Somebody needs to draft him very early in the second round.”
The mention of Filipowski’s girlfriend puzzled Lowe, prompting him to ask for clarification. Givony elaborated, “He has an older girlfriend, she’s like 25 or 26, and people are like ‘Ah, this is weird,’ and it’s like give me a freaking break, guys. He doesn’t talk to his parents…”
This topic quickly gained attention on social media, prompting Filipowski’s mother and brother to provide further context about the nature of the relationship.
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Despite the controversy, Givony reiterated that concerns over Filipowski’s personal life were significant among teams.
“I swear I’ve heard it 25 times, this came up. It was one of the biggest factors you heard, and it’s just weird, man. It’s really, really weird. I think people really overthought this one. The workouts didn’t help, the interviews didn’t help, he’s a little bit of a nervous guy, but there’s a lot less pressure in the NBA regular season than there is playing at Duke.”
Filipowski didn’t have to wait long in the second round, as the Utah Jazz selected him with the second pick (32nd overall).
Despite the unexpected turn of events, Filipowski will now have the opportunity to prove his worth at the professional level.
