The Detroit Pistons just haven't been able to catch a break this season, and Svi Mykhailiuk is wondering where he fits in the bigger picture relative to Luke Kennard.
After losing Reggie Jackson after the second game of the season, losing Blake Griffin for the first 10 games and not being 100 percent at all this season, Derrick Rose missing a handful of games, the Pistons will now be without breakout guard Luke Kennard for two weeks.
Kennard had been battling knee soreness the past few games for the Pistons and told reporters after the Pistons loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on December 23:
“I'm not myself at the moment. I'm not the same as I was at the beginning of the season.”
The former Duke standout is having a breakout season for the Pistons in his third season. After averaging only 8.6 points through his first two seasons, Kennard is averaging 15.8 points this season on a career-best 59 true shooting percentage.
If the Pistons, who currently sit at 11-20 on the season and are 2.5 games behind the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, plan on keeping up with the fainting playoff hopes they'll need someone to fill the void left by their starting shooting guard. Whether the Pistons management will decide to go in a different direction rather than pursue the eighth seed for the second straight season, both routes will involve the play of Svi Mykhailiuk.
The Pistons traded for the second-year player last season right before the deadline, shipping Reggie Bullock to the Los Angelas Lakers. Svi has made the jump to being a solid rotational player for the Pistons this season, shooting 43 percent from downtown on 3.5 attempts per game.
The Motor City will need Mykhailiuk to step up even more in the absence of Kennard. The Pistons are struggling currently and could be looking for ways to shake things up, focusing more on the future rather than the present.
The putrid play of their superstar Griffin has forced Detroit to wonder whether pursuing the eighth seed is the correct course in action and if the team should focus more on developing their young talent.
In either situation, Mykhailiuk will need to step his game up. Mykhailiuk has started three games this season for the Pistons, and he has responded well when put into the starting lineup. In those three games, Svi Mykhailiuk is averaging 10.3 points, 2.7 assists, 1.7 rebounds, and is shooting 55.6 percent from distance on six attempts per game.
The Ukranian youngster has shown that he's not affected by the bright lights that come with starting for an NBA team and has shown steady improvements across the board for the Pistons. Being a second-round pick, Mykhailiuk showing he's already a competent rotational player for the Pistons is a huge win.
This is an opportunity for the 22-year-old to show he is capable of being more than that in his second season. The return of Jackson is coming soon, he was re-evaluated on December 3 and was said to be out at least two more weeks. Coming up on the New Year, the return of the Pistons starting point guard is coming sooner rather than later.
Which means someone will have to be bumped from the rotation to make room for Jackson. Mykhailiuk's play these next few weeks in the absence of Kennard will give him an even bigger opportunity to show he should remain in Detroit's rotation when Jackson returns.
It's been a trying season for the Detroit Pistons and their fans. During a disappointing season thus far in terms of their record, seeing the improvements of your young players is one bright spot in a dark season.
Mykhailiuk will have the chance to bring a positive vibe to the Pistons' season in the coming weeks.
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