Kyle Filipowski has been great
The Toronto Raptors played the Utah Jazz in Las Vegas Summer League on Wednesday night, and Filipowski absolutely broke the Toronto defense. His ability to play out on the perimeter, both with the ball and without, opened up the court for the rest of the Jazz to get to the rim at will.
It was a picture of what the Raptors could have had with Filipowski alongside Scottie Barnes. By pulling the Raptors' centers out of the paint, Utah's other forward Taylor Hendricks and Cody Williams had plenty of space to work. Between them they shot 10-of-11 from 2-point range.
Filipowski was far from merely a magnet, however, as he roasted the Raptors to the tune of 20 points, nailing multiple jumpers (2-for-3 from deep, plus a couple of smooth midrangers) and even showing off his strength and handle inside, showing off post moves and even driving out of isolation from the perimeter and right to the rim.
He did it all, and added seven rebounds, three steals and a block to display a well-rounded game and a solid defensive impact. The Raptors had no answers for him, and it had to be painful knowing they could have had that player wearing a Raptors jersey.
Jonathan Mogbo didn't play in the game due to an injury, but he did very little in the two games he did play to make it seem like he was ready for primetime. Filipowski has been the leading star, and the Raptors have been forced to watch.
The future is not set in stone; Filipowski could struggle, and Mogbo could take a major step forward. But right now it looks like the mistake the Raptors made on draft night is already turning into a fullblown disaster, and it will only hurt the more that Filipowski continues to shine.