When the Los Angeles Lakers selected Svi Mykhailiuk in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, they asserted he was much more than a shooter. President of basketball operations Magic Johnson touted him as being a tough defender and capable playmaker.
He had flashes of promise during Summer League action and the preseason, but has largely struggled — albeit in limited opportunities — thus far in the regular season. During intermittent stints on the court for the Lakers, Mykhailiuk has spent time in the G League.
He and fellow rookies Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga were in the South Bay lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Texas Legends. While Mykhailiuk has yet to find his footing with the Lakers, he exploded to lead South Bay with a game-high 29 points.
The bulk of his damage came from behind the arc, where Mykhailiuk went 7-for-9.
Svi was scorching hot tonight.
29 points (7-9 3PT) ????????????#SBLakers | #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/9RLEXpWf1l
— South Bay Lakers (@SouthBayLakers) November 29, 2018
The performance easily bested anything Mykhailiuk has done for the Lakers in the early stages of his rookie season. He’s made just four 3-pointers on 15 attempts over 10 games.
While 21-year-old has yet to make much of an impact for the Lakers, he’s continued to impress head coach Luke Walton and LeBron James, among others, with his strong work ethic. With the Lakers facing depth issues at point guard, Walton has even mentioned Mykhailiuk as an option.