2024 NBA Draft: Ranking the top power forward prospects, led by Duke’s Kyle Filipowski

Yahoo Sports is breaking down the top players in the 2024 NBA Draft by position this week. On Monday, we ranked the best point guards in this class, Tuesday we broke down the top centers, and today we’ll take a look at the top power forwards.

With the way the NBA game is extending outside the paint, NBA scouts and decision makers will be deep diving into each player’s 3-point potential in the front court. Duke’s Kyle Filipowski, who elected to return for his sophomore season and helped lead the Blue Devils to an Elite Eight run, leads this list. Colorado’s Tristan da Silva, meanwhile, is a four-year player who can be plugged in right away and contribute to a handful of teams.

In a draft that’s completely wide open, especially projecting the draft ranges of power forwards, there could be a few surprises in this group during both rounds on June 26-27.

1. Kyle Filipowski

Ht./Wt.: 7-0, 230 pounds | Age: 20

Duke ran the majority of its offense through Filipowski, who is a very smart player at targeting mismatches off pick-and-rolls and different pin-down screens. His face-up game has improved and his go-to move is taking a defender left off the elbow before spinning back and finishing on the right side of the rim. Filipowski’s lateral movement on defense continues to be an area of improvement, but he’s moved better since undergoing double hip surgery a year ago. His draft range is anywhere from late lottery to mid-20s in the first round. He can be a plug-and-play guy for multiple teams.

(Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

2. Tristan da Silva

Ht./Wt.: 6-9, 217 pounds | Age: 23

Colorado had a successful season largely due to the guard play of KJ Simpson and the inside-out versatility of da Silva. Being an older prospect, da Silva will be expected to contribute right away; what makes him most valuable is all the different spots he can be slotted into on the court. The senior forward shot 39.5% from 3-point range and doesn’t need the ball in his hands to positively impact the game. He moves well off the ball and is an underrated passer, dishing out five or more assists in five games this season. His draft range is…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2024-nba-draft-ranking-the-top-power-forward-prospects-led-by-dukes-kyle-filipowski-165512174.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-06-12 16:55:12

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.