Los Angeles Lakers rookie Svi Mykhailiuk is starting to look a little more comfortable at the biggest stage.
When Los Angeles Lakers rookie Svi Mykhailiuk is thought about, the young man tends to be an afterthought, to be honest. Part of comes with the territory in terms of being a newbie.
Mykhailiuk has 11 DNPs (Did Not Play) so far in 2018-2019, which partially accounts for why it is hard to gauge the value he brings to the Lakers.
In his 15 appearances, Mykhailiuk carries modest averages of 3.1 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. Numbers of that nature are not necessarily dazzling at first blush.
A former Kansas Jayhawk, the 6-foot-8 baller developed a name for himself while in college. He was widely known for his shooting prowess while at the institution, hence why the Lakers snatched him up this summer.
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Unfortunately, that success has not translated itself on the NBA stage all too much. However, as was said, it is not all Svi’s fault. The playing time has not always been there, and it is difficult to establish a groove when things like that transpire.
Thankfully, Mykhailiuk has received a little more action of late. Due to injuries to players like Brandon Ingram, head coach Luke Walton has slid Svi into the rotation.
That decision on Walton’s part paid dividends over the weekend for the Lakers. For example, Svi was impactful this past Friday against San Antonio. The rookie made 2-of-3 attempts from 3-point land, which was encouraging to see.
Mykhailiuk followed up that performance with an even better one the subsequent evening. Against the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, he made 3-of-6 3-pointers, scoring 11 in total. That mark was actually a career-high for the Ukrainian talent.
Per Matthew Moreno of Lakers Nation (originally via Spectrum SportsNet), here is what Mykhailiuk had to say about his success this past weekend.
"“It is what it is. Shooters shoot. My first couple games, just had to get in a rhythm.”"
Svi brings up a key point when he alludes to finding his “rhythm.” Sometimes all it takes is getting that chance on the court, and he has made good of the opportunity he has gotten.
As a matter of fact, the youngster set another career-high versus the Grizzlies. He managed to assist the Lakers out on the glass a bit, grabbing three rebounds. On paper, it sounds petty, but it is still nice to see Mykhailiuk helping in that respect.
The last couple games represent a small sample size for the young Laker. He still has a lot of work to do if he wants to remain a permanent piece in Walton’s rotation.
Nevertheless, given the injuries Los Angeles currently has, the Lakers will gladly accept any sort of success from Svi. Fortunately, he has made a positive impact in recent memory and fans can only hope that the success continues to manifest itself.