In the midst of the Utah Jazz's fourth and final preseason game of the year against the Phoenix Suns, we were finally able to get a glmpse of Kyle Filipowski on the floor for the first time since the end of last season.
And that's because Filipowski has been busy recovering from offseason back surgery throughout the past several months.
Filipowski had a herniated disc in his back caused from an offseason training session back in 2025. The Jazz big man played through the injury across all of last year despite suffering from sciatica and consistent pain all throughout the season.
So once his 2025-26 campaign came to a close, Filipowski was finally able to get things repaired. His rehab process spanned virtually the entire offseason, and in the final exhibition matchup of the year before the regular season started up, he got back on the floor for a little over eight minutes.
What Will Hardy Said About Kyle Filipowski's Performance
Filipowski's season debut wound up being pretty productive, even in the limited playing time he was on the floor. He finished his night with six points on 3-5 shooting from the field, paired with seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
After the win, Jazz head coach Will Hardy spoke about what he saw in Filipowski's first time back on the floor for a game in about six months.
"I'm just happy for Flip," Hardy said of Filipowski's return. "It's been a long summer, a long offseason. It's got to be a relief for him just to get out there and play."
"I thought he played pretty well. He had some really nice moments; a big shot late against the switch over the top. Flip's somebody we're pretty familiar with. We know he's a good player, but I think it's just great for him. His teammates were excited to have him back."
Filipowski, when healthy, has remained a pretty key piece of the Jazz's frontcourt rotation over the past two years, likely to see an even bigger role as he enters his third season in Utah.
And now that he's back to 100% heading into the regular season, there's a good chance that Filipowski can find a way into an even bigger role in the rotation––at least for as long as Jusuf Nurkic is sidelined with a foot injury he suffered in preseason.
The Jazz's frontcourt rotation without Nurkic has remained a little shallow through the stint we've seen in the preseason, leading to Jaxson Hayes being Utah's starting center for the meantime.
Having Filipowski returning from his offseason surgery doesn't cement him into a starting five spot by any means. But the size and offensive versatility he provides will be a big boost for the production of this second unit.
So once opening night against the Memphis Grizzlies arrives for the Jazz next week, expect to see Filipowski back in the mix as he was against Phoenix, likely backing up Hayes as a backup five, or as someone who can play alongside him at the four.
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