Los Angeles Lakers: 2018 NBA Draft grades
By Dan Lovi
No. 47: Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, Kansas
The Lakers ended their draft by selecting four-year college player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk from Kansas.
The sharpshooting guard led the Big 12 Conference in 3-point percentage his senior year, shooting 44.4 percent from downtown on 6.6 attempts per game. He also broke his school’s record for the most 3-pointers made in a season, connecting on 115 in 259 attempts. He reached his career-high with six 3-pointers made on four different occasions.
The Lakers needed shooting desperately, finishing second-to-last in the league last year in 3-point percentage.
Mykhailiuk is NBA-ready, at least as the offensive side of the ball is concerned. He averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while starting all 39 contests for Kansas.
The Lakers are bringing in a player who has a vast amount of experience, despite being only 21 years old. Svi played several years for the Ukrainian national team and led his team in scoring during the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship.
Similar to Moe Wagner, Svi’s biggest concern is his defense. He’s not particularly quick or strong and could struggle staying in front of the quicker guards in the league.
It's pretty obvious that the Lakers prioritized shooting in this draft. Both Wagner & Mykhailiuk have holes, but they can shoot the hell out of the ball relative to their position.
— Laker Film Room (@LakerFilmRoom) June 22, 2018
That will be especially important if a certain free agent signs here in a couple of weeks.
Nonetheless, Mykhailiuk could be one of the rare second-round picks who ends up getting some playing time in his rookie season. He will probably also spend some time with the South Bay Lakers, the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League affiliate.
Grade: C