3 Prospects Trail Blazers should avoid at all costs in 2024 NBA Draft

2. Kyle Filipowski, Center, Duke

On the surface, potential lottery pick Kyle Filipowski is a good fit for the Blazers' offseason needs. He's a 7-foot center who can stretch the floor and is a solid passer for his position. It's becoming increasingly more important in the NBA for a center to make the correct read after the ball handler gets trapped in a pick-and-roll situation.

Filipowski could be a positive asset on the offensive end, in large part due to his ability to make a play in open space as a big man. However, one cause for concern is his 28.2 three-point shooting in his freshman year and 67.1 percent free-throw shooting in his sophomore year, which suggests that he may not be as significant a floor spacer at the next level as he's currently perceived to be.

Filipowski had a tremendous sophomore season with Duke, averaging 16.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 51/35/67 shooting splits. Even considering these promising attributes, the Blazers should not pull the trigger on the big man at pick No. 14. Staying an additional year may have helped his draft stock. Still, he didn't show a significant enough improvement. He increased his scoring output from 15.1 to 16.4 points per game, suggesting his potential is more limited than other draft prospects teams are considering in the lottery.

Additionally, despite averaging 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals last season at Duke, Filipowski is a potential defensive liability in the NBA. His lack of athleticism is a main concern at the next level, particularly on defense. He's not going to be an elite rim protector, and equally as important, he will be taken advantage of in isolation situations out on the perimeter.

The cons outweigh the pros for Filipowski as an NBA prospect, especially given the lottery pick draft capital the Blazers would have to invest in him.