Kyle Filipowski, Jaylen Wells and others are threatening to make 2024 an upside-down NBA Draft

Kyle Filipowski found himself in a surprising position he had the ball out well above the 3-point line, yet Sacramento s plodding 7-footer Alex Len was crowding him.

Did Len not know the Utah Jazz s rookie second-round pick could handle the ball and blow by him? The found out part of the equation came soon after.

Filipowski used a quick rocker step to momentarily shake Len, put down two dribbles into the paint and powered home a dunk over the Kings big man, drawing a basket-and-1 and providing one of the few highlights in a forgettable early season for the Jazz.

It was a great feeling, Filipowski said.

It was a little sign to everyone not to underestimate me.

That was nasty, teammate Jordan Clarkson said.

Hes doing a great job.

That dunk also is a symbolic place to start discussing one of the biggest trends of the NBA season so far: The upside-down 2024 draft.

While the top 15 picks have generally been a crushing disappointment , teams have had far more success with more experienced players who were either selected later or signed to two-ways after going undrafted.

Advertisement Filipowski, for instance, was the second pick of the second round, selected at No.

32 by the Jazz.

And while his teams two teenage first-rounders have been Schwarzkopf -level tank commanders, Filipowski has established himself as a rotation player despite Utahs (relatively) deep frontcourt.

Filipowski is shooting 64.6 percent on 2s, but his scoring stats dont jump out as much as his overall floor game.

Offensively, his ability to pass and facilitate (5.3 assists per 100 possessions, more than two dimes for every turnover) has made him a valuable high-post fulcrum.

Hes still picking his spots on when to shoot from 3, which has never been his biggest strength.

Hell pass up early looks to keep the ball moving and then let it rip later in the clock, but at 29 percent from 3 and 53.3 percent from the line, its an area to address going forward.

The coaches have given me a lot of freedom to make the decision with the ball in my hands, and thats something Im not going to take advantage of in a bad way, Filipowski said.

When I have the ball early in the shot clock, even if I have the shot, I want to have the offense running smoothly and get those other guys involved.

Defensively, the Jazz have been comfortable leaving him out on an island against smalls, something he also did very effectively in his two years at Duke.

Hes not an explosive leaper or rim protector, but Filipowski can move his feet and does enough on the boards (13.5 percent rebound rate) to credibly play center.

For now, consider him a hybrid big who can flex between power forward and center.

Im both, Filipowski said.

It just depends on the guys around me, what I need to do on the court at that specific time with what the coaches want me to do, and Ill adjust.

Filipowski is actually young by the standards of this group, leaving Duke after his sophomore year and just recently turning 21, but hes part of a larger group of experienced second-rounders and undrafted players who have been able to make a more instant impact.

Lets take a look at several others: Pelle Larsson , Heat Its a story as old as time an NBA basketball player from Sweden by way of Arizona.

Selected 44th by the Heat and seemingly en route to a year of watching and learning behind Miamis deep wing rotation, Larsson instead has played in 15 games, including a high of 36 minutes in a key win over Dallas .

Thats notable for a team whose first-round pick (KelEl Ware) has hardly played at all.

Like Filipowski, Larsson has made an impact with his shot selection and passing.

Advertisement Larsson is shooting 64.6 percent on 2s and averaging nearly three assists for every turnover, ideal for a low-usage role that mostly has him spotting up off the ball.

Hes old for a rookie at 23, but in this particular case, that might be a feature and not a bug.

Hes playing a very similar role that he played at Arizona, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Hes a mature player at 23, he had been in a lot of big games, he had served a really important role, had gotten better every single year and was coached hard at a program that we respect because they value winning.

I think some people in the draft view that as a player 23, thats a great role player as somebody that doesnt have potential.

We view that as just the opposite, that he has room for growth but you can plug and play right now because he does things that lead to winning.

The numbers back up that last claim.

Larsson has a plus-6.3 on-off rating in this young season.

Shot-location nerds also will love that he has not taken a single long 2 all season.

Jaylen Wells , Grizzlies Wells story isnt getting enough ink.

The 39th pick out of Washington State was supposed to be a bit more of a project, especially on a team with Memphis depth; lottery pick Zach Edey was supposed to be the impact rookie.

But Wells has started 20 games for a team that is 17-8 and recently beat the Boston Celtics in the Gah-den.

Its more notable because Wells wasnt even regarded as a draft prospect until late in his college career.

The 21-year-old was a transfer from tiny Sonoma State and only played one season of high-major ball; even then, he was in one of the nations least accessible power conference schools (try getting to Pullman, Wash., some time) and wasnt on scouts radar for much of the season.

It turns out that 6-foot-7 wings who can shoot and defend have a place in the league.

Wells hasnt done any one thing that blows you away, but he often guards the opponents best wing to start the game before Marcus Smart comes in, has knocked down 38.3 percent of his 3s and has been a surprisingly active participant (18.1 percent usage) in the leagues fifth-ranked offense.

Advertisement Wells has taken more than half his shots from 3, but hes also shooting 52.8 percent inside the arc and, like the two players above, has kept the ball moving with more assists than turnovers.

Oso Ighodaro , Suns Ighodaro was one of my favorite sleepers heading into the draft, and the 40th pick has already played 319 minutes for the Suns because hes a mobile big man on the defensive end who can also facilitate offense.

While hes not an outside shooting threat, Ighodaro has a handle and passing chops that make him a useful operator from the elbows.

In addition, hes displayed the trademark floater that he used so successfully at Marquette, taking more than a third of his shots from 3 to 10 feet and making 40 percent of them.

The Suns will want to see the 22-year-old continue to develop some of the traditional big man stuff improving his 12.9 percent rebound rate and 1.7 percent block rate but Ighodaros positive on-off numbers (plus-5.9 per 100) indicate hes contributing plenty already.

Ajay Mitchell , Thunder A second-round pick on a loaded Thunder team, Mitchell didnt seem to have many avenues to playing time this season.

But the 38th pick from tiny UC Santa Barbara sprinted right past the Thunders two first-rounders and into the guard rotation.

In the process, hes unexpectedly pushing the Portland Trail Blazers Toumani Camara for the important distinction of being the leagues best left-handed Belgian.

Mitchell has a power game that he used to bludgeon opponents in the Big West, but at this level, he can dip into that bag less often.

Every so often hell opportunistically break it out, though.

Watch here, for instance, as he drags CJ McCollum into the torture chamber and goes to work when no help arrives.

Mitchell is an unusual fit as a role player, as hes a low-volume 3-point shooter who rarely takes them off the dribble.

Hes made 41.9 percent of his 31 attempts, but more often, hes been a downhill penetrator, showing good first-step quickness, especially to his left.

Combined with solid defense that includes 2.6 steals per 100 possessions, the 22-year-old has been able to help keep the Thunder machine rolling in his bench minutes not an easy task when hes often subbing in for MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander .

Advertisement Jamison Battle , Raptors Im kicking myself for not including Battle in my Top 75 ahead of the draft, because I saw him play in person for Ohio State last year and he stood out.

Toronto inked him to a two-way deal after he went undrafted, but based on current trends, hes going to be on a roster deal sooner rather than later.

Battle is shooting 42.5 percent from 3 perhaps not a huge surprise after he made 43.3 percent in his final year in college and hit 92.6 percent from the line and at 6-7 with a quick trigger, he has the ability to squeeze off attempts over closeouts.

The lefty has launched 11.3 triples per 100 possessions, a rate that establishes him as a true gunner, offsetting that he rarely ventures inside the 3-point line, attempting just 24 2s in 23 games.

While hes not a true initiator, Battle can do his part to keep the ball moving, especially when he gets a screen and his initial read of SHOOT IT! is taken away by a switch.

Hes averaging 3.3 assists per 100 possessions and nearly three dimes for every turnover.

Isaac Jones , Kings Jones went undrafted despite playing very well at the NBA Scouting Combine and signed a two-way deal with Sacramento.

After the Kings backup bigs floundered for the early part of the season, they turned to Jones and played him heavy minutes for five straight games in early December.

Hes responded with 15 dunks in 14 games and 71.1 percent shooting inside the arc, and hes even thrown in a corner 3 for good measure (something he spent a good chunk of his pregame routine working on when I saw the Kings in Atlanta).

Despite entering the league at the ancient age of 24, Jones may still have some developmental upside.

Hes in the NBA after being a different kind of one and done (he didnt play any organized basketball in his first year out of high school and worked at a loading dock for a year).

Eventually, he landed at Wenatchee Junior College, then things quickly accelerated to moves to Idaho and Washington State.

Advertisement The Kings will likely want to see a bit more rebounding juice (just a 9.5 percent rebound rate so far) and fewer fouls before entrusting him fully with rotation minutes, but the early returns have been encouraging.

Jonathan Mogbo , Raptors A small-conference center adjusting to perimeter life in the pros, the 6-9 Mogbo was the first pick of the second round by Toronto.

Hes another older player (23) who profiles as still having some upside, especially if his shooting continues to develop.

Mogbos outside shooting was the big question mark entering the draft; hes only made seven this season, but thats a big improvement on the zero he made his last year in college.

If he provides any spacing at all, his skills in other areas make him a very valuable player.

Hes a huge plus on the boards as a forward with a 14.9 percent rebound rate, can handle the ball and pass (he was a point guard when he was younger before a growth spurt pushed him into the paint) and is a handsy defender averaging 2.6 steals per 100 possessions.

On a Toronto team desperate for credible bench minutes, Mogbo has helped fill the void.

Hes even, at times, reverted to his old ways by taking some shifts as a small-ball center in second units.

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(Illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic ; top photos of Jaylen Wells and Kyle Filipowski: Harry How, Monica Schipper / Getty Images).

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