Svi Mykhailiuk will try to crack the Celtics' rotation in training camp and the preseason as Boston figures out the best players for the end of its bench this season.
The Celtics reportedly agreed to a one-year free agent contract with Mykhailiuk earlier this week. Mykhailiuk is an interesting player. He has played really well in a bunch of games, including 25-point and 26-point performances late last season. But he hasn't scored enough consistently to stick in one place long term. The Celtics will be his seventh team since he entered the NBA in 2018-19.
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What has to happen for Mykhailiuk to carve out a regular role in the Celtics' rotation this season? Chris Forsberg and MassLive's Brian Robb discussed that topic on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston's Celtics Talk Podcast.
"I think if Sam Hauser has a massive shooting slump and isn't the 40 percent 3-point shooter we saw pretty consistently for him last year. I think that's the entry way (for Mykhailiuk)," Robb said. "If you look around the rest of the rotation, (Oshae) Brissett is going to play. Rob Williams is obviously going to play plenty with with (Al) Horford and (Kristaps) Porzingis. If that group in the frontcourt is healthy, they're pretty much set there. And I don't think (Mykhailiuk) is going to be playing over Payton Pritchard in terms of his skill set and the trust Joe Mazzulla has in him.
"But there is an entry way, there are plenty of different options for Joe Mazzulla at the 10th, 11th or 12th spots on the roster on any given night. And to be honest, the most direct pathway might just be injuries. It's not a position where the Celtics have had a lot of injuries, and certainly they would be in pretty big trouble if they had injuries on the wing given (Jaylen) Brown and (Jayson) Tatum's influence there. But at the same time, Joe Mazzulla loves shooting and this guy has taken 63 percent of his attempts in the NBA from beyond the arc. When you put those two together, Mykhailiuk is a guy who plays exactly how they want to play for next season."
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Forsberg agreed that if the Celtics are going to try out some guys for the 10th, 11th and 12th spots on the roster, they should opt for shooters because that's the style Mazzulla wants to play.
"If you're looking for an end-of-the-bench guy, you needed to have shooting. That's why T.J. Warren was somewhat intriguing, but I'd much rather them roll the dice on a 26-year-old who at least showed some glimpses (of potential)," Forsberg explained.
Also discussed in the episode:
- Do you expect Brad Stevens to make another move before camp starts? Could Blake Griffin be back?
- The guys discuss what they make of Brad Stevens’ comments about Kristaps Porzingis and his status ahead of the season.
- Is there anything to make about reports that Jayson Tatum has been courting Damian Lillard?
- The guys share their thoughts on the state of Celtics fans entering another pivotal season for the franchise.