Mykhailiuk hooping for NBA shot with Lakers
The Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk hype began with his dominant performance back in the summer of the 2013 FIBA under-16 European Championships when the Ukrainian teen averaged 25.2 points per game, putting him on the international radar screen. He could easily be a professional in Europe today, but some of the top young European prospects are now choosing the college route to the NBA.
Salaries are lower in international basketball with less opportunity for playing time and limited player development. In U.S. college programs players get to play in real-game situations and benefit from detailed developmental regimens, including diets and weight training.
Every move Mykhailiuk made in the last several years, especially his selection of Kansas University, was made with an eye toward a future NBA career. He spent his last year in his hometown of Cherkasy practicing with the professional team in town every night. His typical day was school from 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., then basketball practice at 6-8 p.m. His day was school, basketball, sleep.
The dream took on realism in April 2014, when Mykhailiuk first visited America, accepting an invitation to play on the international team at the Nike Hop Summit, a who’s who of the top prospects from outside the U.S. He scored a mere two points in 13 minutes, but had created a buzz among NBA scouts with his practice play leading up to the game. Feedback from scouts was that he had skill and feel beyond his years with a toughness and a knowledge of how to play. Mykhailiuk did not look lost in any drill or any scrimmage, nor did he ever back down.
Kansas head coach Bill Self and assistant coach Kurtis Townsend made the trek to Portland, Ore., for the Hoop Summit to meet Mykhailiuk face-to-face. The KU staff got a hot tip about Mykhailiuk at the Final Four when an acquaintance of Self told him about a 16-year-old from Ukraine who was going to be a terrific player. The friend gave Self the teenager’s contact info.
The Kansas coaches tracked some tape on Mykhailiuk, then Coach Self reached out to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs to see if he was worth recruiting. Self is close friends with San Antonio’s General Manager R.C. Buford, whose scouting staff has a strong reputation and rated Mykhailiuk with great potential.
KU’s coaches were prohibited from observing Mykhailiuk’s practices at the Hoop Summit. School representatives spent only 15 minutes with him, showed him some tape and expressed their interest. He committed to Kansas four weeks later, after he visited both Kansas and Virginia.
“It was the tradition,” Mykhailiuk said in his introductory press conference. “Everyone knows KU is a great program with great coaches and they’d win Big-12 10 years in a row. There was a spot for me, and I know I’m going to develop here, so I choose here.”
Mykhailiuk was going to be a Kansas Jayhawk, and the school’s coaches had yet to see him play in person.
Mental and physical development
Fast forward to March 2018… Kansas strength and conditioning coach Andrea Hudy pulls up two pictures of a shirtless Mykhailiuk, side by side. One picture is Mykhailiuk right after he arrived on KU’s campus: shoulders slumped forward, chest flat, arms looking like noodles. The other recent photo sees him standing more upright, shoulders back, chest and arms defined. The additional 17 pounds of muscle are obvious, but the most noticeable difference is his posture. To achieve correct posturing, Mykhailiuk endured hours of running, jumping and lateral movements. The physical improvements provided the now college senior with comfort and confidence.
Comfort and confidence are what Mykhailiuk is selling pro scouts ahead of the 2018 NBA Draft.
As a freshman, Mykhailiuk was never really able to demonstrate the skill level that excited those scouts heading into his college career. His body was the first obstacle he could not overcome. The college game was a bit too physical for him – opponents would bump him off screens, he’d get screened and stick to the screen. His high IQ, knowing how to play and astute passing skills helped him survive.
The maturity of Mykhailiuk’s game and his practice play convinced Coach Self that the Ukrainian could be a major contributor on a strong Kansas squad. He made shots, defended capably, rebounded well and eventually overcame the hurdle of settling in mentally at the start of games. Self admitted to putting Mykhailiuk into situations where it was too much too fast, resulting in a loss of confidence. Missed shots turned into less playing time for the Ukrainian recruit.
After progressing along nicely in his second and third seasons, he passed most of the eye tests in 2017-2018. He didn’t get pushed around, and he knew where he was supposed to be on the floor. His comfort level around his teammates and his maturity were that of an experienced upper classman. He bought into the “next play” philosophy of not obsessing over a mistake and the need to move forward. He no longer allowed a missed shot to affect his next shot and his overall play.
Witness the consistent improvements in his personal statistics from the last three seasons:
(Note: The slightly lower field goal and three-point field goal percentages are explained by the increased minutes of playing time, thus more shots attempted and more shots made.)
The finished product
Mykhailiuk does not fit the stereotype of an international guard who is a 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7 wing player and a great shooter. His biggest strength is being an all-around guard and playmaker, and getting to the basket. He does own the framework of a dependable jumper. He handled the ball well enough at KU to be a secondary ball-handler when either Frank Mason or Davonte Graham went to the bench. He has the quickness and length to be a solid defender, yet it will probably be his jumps that will determine his fate.
The final big question was what would happen if Mykhailiuk’s potential did not turn into production during the recent 2017-2018 season. The easy conclusion to draw was he could go back overseas and play professionally if things didn’t play out at Kansas. As it turned out, the Ukrainian senior played a significant role in Kansas’ conference championship and deep run in the NCAA tournament. One might conclude the Kansas developmental mission was accomplished.
To quote an NBA Eastern Conference scout, speaking of Mykhailiuk: “The ability to shoot is there, and that’s becoming such a big need in the NBA. He also has great positional size, can handle the ball and can operate the screen and roll very effectively. He’s got a little bit of an edge to him defensively.”
Kansas fans finally saw it. They saw the guy who kills it in international play. They saw the LeBron of Cherkasy become the LeBron of Lawrence, Kan. In his senior year, he showed it on a consistent basis. He dunked on folks, he showed he’s able to slide as well as anyone on the team. He finally put it together. He’s mature and physically strong enough that there is no reason why he can’t play in the pros – if not the NBA, certainly in Europe.
Drafted by Lakers
Hugs, handshakes and happy hysteria were the norm at the Mykhailiuk table at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn around 11:30 p. on Thursday, June 21. Mykhailiuk was the 47th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers. If he makes the team, he could be fellow Ukrainian Kyle Kuzma’s teammate next season.
Most draft projections had Mykhailiuk as a late-second-round selection (the NBA draft only has two rounds) at best. ESPN experts had him going in the mid-50s.
In their press release, the Lakers referred to the Ukrainian as “one of college basketball’s deadliest shooters.” GM Rob Pelinka called Mykhailiuk one of the best knockdown shooters that was in for pre-draft workouts.
“I feel like it’s a blessing to be part of the Lakers and be part of the NBA,” Mykhailiuk said in a post-draft interview. “With all of the Lakers’ history, it’s just a blessing to be part of the team.”
Ihor Stelmach may be reached at iman@sfgsports.com.