Utah Jazz: 5 options for pick No. 52 in 2018 NBA Draft

4. Svi Mykhailiuk, SG/SF — Kansas

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is the stereotypical European sharpshooting prospect who offers nothing but being a spot-up 3-point shooter at the next level. Or is he?

In his freshman season at Kansas, Mykhailiuk shot 28.8 percent from 3-point land on 2.0 attempts per game. Neither were great numbers then, and they aren’t great numbers now, but it’s what he did in between that really stands out.

After his freshman year at Kansas, Mykhailiuk increased both the amount of 3s he attempted per game and his 3-point percentage by a considerable amount, highlighted by his strongest campaign in his senior season.

Mykhailiuk shot 44.4 percent from beyond the arc this past season on 6.6 attempts per game. He also posted career highs in assists (2.7 per game), rebounds (3.7 per game) and steals (1.2 per game). Oh, and he also averaged 14.6 points per game, a 4.8-point increase from his junior year.

Some may see that Mykhailiuk is 6’8″ and be a bit concerned that 3.7 rebounds per game was his career high. That fear should be squashed as Bill Self often kept Mykhailiuk out on the wings awaiting a pass for a 3-point attempt, but that’s not all he can do:

In the first play, forward Malik Newman attempts a 3-pointer, gets the ball back off a Udoka Azubuike offensive rebound, and then passes it to Mykhailiuk at the top of the key. It’s what Mykhailiuk does next that makes it easy to see how he could fit into Quin Snyder’s offense.

Mykhailiuk could’ve shot as soon as he got the ball from Newman (he has the range), but instead fearlessly drives into the paint where three Texas A&M defenders are already, contorting his body for the tough finish. Snyder loves to use his 3-point shooters as two-way threats (which I’ll define as recognizing whether to attack or use their stretching ability to set up teammates). On the very next play, he does just that.

Mykhailiuk receives the ball at the top of the key, but instead of faking a shot, he quickly whips it down to Azubuike. If you rewind the play just before Mykhailiuk passes it and pause it, you’ll see two A&M defenders trying to deny Mykhailiuk a passing lane, which forces the remaining A&M defender to switch onto Azubuike. If Mykhailiuk had waited, he could have kicked it to his right for an open three-point attempt for Newman, but Mykhailiuk knew what he wanted to do, and it resulted in a monster jam.

Have I said Mykhailiuk enough?