Last week, the Celtics began training camp with a lot of uncertainty and flexibility at the back end of their roster.
With only ten players on fully guaranteed contracts, there’s plenty of battle for not just a rotation position, but staying on the roster entirely, as Brad Stevens attempts to assemble a complete contender following the trades of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
Svi Mykhailiuk, a sharpshooting guard with only $200,000 guaranteed on his contract, was one of Boston’s late free-agent recruits this summer. Last season, the former Lakers draft pick had a spectacular second half with the Hornets before earning a berth with Boston.
After a DNP-CD in the preseason opener, Mykhailiuk and many other bubble candidates saw some action when Boston’s regulars were on the bench. In the Celtics’ loss against the Knicks, the 26-year-old made the most of his opportunity, along with Dalano Banton (20 points).
Mykhailiuk, who stands 6-foot-7, scored 15 points off the bench in 25 minutes, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3-point range. He displayed outstanding perimeter touch and solid playmaking in the half court, which put him on Boston’s radar this offseason. His defense remains a weakness (four fouls on Monday night), but his stature and shooting ability on the wing could appeal to Boston as they hunt for perimeter weapons to complement their players on the bench.
With three preseason games remaining, Mykhailiuk faces a tough road to securing a roster berth or even a spot on the fringe rotation. However, if Sam Hauser (2-of-15 from 3-point range this preseason) continues to struggle with his shot, the opportunity might be there. Boston has two energetic power forwards (Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens) who might contribute off the bench, but neither is a consistent shooter. Dalano Banton is in the same boat. If injuries occur on the wing and/or Hauser is unable to snap out of his sluggish start, Mykhailiuk might be a person who helps to maximize spacing.
The Celtics may well stick with the 15 players on their roster coming out of the preseason but all of them will need to earn a spot as the team weighs emerging trade and waiver wire options in the coming weeks. Mykhailiuk helped himself on that front Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
