OKC Thunder: 2 late-season acquisitions that could shine in 2021-22
By Mark Nilon
OKC Thunder player No. 1) Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
Acquired in the Hamidou Diallo deal from the Detroit Pistons, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk proved to be a solid producer for the OKC Thunder during his 30 games played with the franchise.
In 23 minutes a night, the Ukrainian-born baller posted averages of 10.3 points, three boards, 1.8 assists, and just shy of a steal on 44 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent shooting from deep.
As we said, Mykhailiuk was brought to the Sooner State in exchange for Diallo which, at the time, had many Thunder fans questioning the logic, as Diallo was viewed to be an impactful complementary piece to have grow with Oklahoma City’s core moving forward.
However, as time rolled along, perceptions changed, as now our very own Matthew Hallett believes that the third-year wing could prove to be a better long-term fit for the franchise:
"Mykhailiuk is a 6’7″ combination wing player who has made a name for himself as a long-range sniper. He has shot the ball at 36.6 percent for his career from behind the 3-point line. He has taken 4.1 shots from deep out of 6.0 total shots per game over his career. This is where he is going to be more beneficial for the Thunder than Diallo and his athleticism. The Thunder are building around the talents of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who is the most dangerous paint penetrator in the entire league. In order to utilize this skill to the greatest benefit, the Thunder need to be able to deploy as many perimeter threats as they can. This will then allow Gilgeous-Alexander to create for himself and for others in a manner that will lead the Thunder to success in the future."
A solid contributor despite coming in mid-season and having to learn his teammate’s tendencies and an entirely new coach’s scheme on the fly, with a full offseason to work with along with a camp and preseason, assuming they re-sign Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, he could easily prove to be one of the team’s key players in 2021-22.