Utah Jazz's Will Hardy Reveals Kyle Filipowski’s Biggest Improvement

Despite another loss to the Utah Jazz against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 113-122, it turned out to be another strong night on Kyle Filipowski's behalf to add onto what's been a pretty productive post-All-Star break stretch.

In just 24 minutes, Filipowski put together a double-double with 20 points on efficient 7-12 shooting from the field, paired with 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block–– showing out on both ends of the floor as both a versatile and dynamic big man.

But it's been on the defensive side of the floor where the Jazz— and particularly head coach Will Hardy— have seen the most growth out of Filipowski through year two, who said his one-on-one defense has been the area in which he's seen his game develop the most.

"One-on-one defense. I think Kyle's done a much better job this season guarding the ball one-on-one," Hardy said before facing the Cavaliers. "We've switched with him a little more than we have in the past. Guarding on the perimeter, especially in isolation, is not easy in our league for anybody, and Kyle has been a big for all of his life."

"So those situations are not natural for him. But I think he's handled it great. I think he's worked on it a ton. Practice, individual workouts, studying the film, has given him a much better understanding of personnel and tendencies now. But I think that area has stood out the most to me."

Will Hardy on where he's seen Kyle Filipowski grow the most in his second year with the Jazz:

🗣️"One-on-one defense. I think Kyle's done a much better job this season guarding the ball one-on-one..." pic.twitter.com/NqJ8YOqTWR
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) March 31, 2026

Kyle Filipowski Helping Jazz's Defensive Ceiling

For someone like Filipowski who's often been advertised as an offensive-focused big since entering the league, taking steps on the other end to be a steady, switchable force defensively can be a huge help for his growth as a pro individually, and for his contributions to the Jazz as a whole.

Especially as it relates to Utah's strength on the defensive side of the floor, this young roster has still shown there's room for improvement moving forward before being considered a well-rounded threat on both sides of the ball.

With just under two weeks to go in the regular season, the Jazz are currently trending towards being dead last in defensive rating in the NBA at 122.2, which would make for their third-straight season of being named the worst team in the league on that side of the ball.

Mar 30, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz head coach Will Hardy watches play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Now that Utah is hoping to turn this rebuild around as soon as next season to be a playoff-level group in the West, finding upside on that side of the ball both internally and perhaps externally will be key for Utah to truly make their aspired strides in 2026-27.

Being a one-dimensional team doesn't take you far in the NBA, especially with sky-high competition like the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs set to be standing in their way in their own conference. That makes getting refined and well-rounded on both ends a key priority for the Jazz across the coming months.

Guys like Filipowski taking the steps in their own respective development defensively is a big help towards that goal. And as long as that trend continues, it could be the trait that keeps him locked in as a core piece to continue developing with this Jazz core throughout this summer into next season.