It’s time to summarize the intermediate results of the performances of our overseas basketball players Svyatoslav Mikhailyuk and Alexei Len. What success did the Ukrainians achieve in the first quarter of the season and what can they hope for this year?

Svyatoslav Mikhailuk. The leader of the Ukrainian national team performed well in the EuroBasket. He played all six games, averaging 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2.7 assists. In addition, Swee became one of the leaders in the interventions of the tournament – 2.2 per game. Mykhailyuk confidently took over, making powerful passes from under the basket and shooting 3-pointers – the best of all known Ukrainian snipers (34.1%). Although the Greeks, Croats, Poles and Italians certainly don’t have the weakest defenders on their roster.

This probably earned him a contract in New York. And also – fulfilling his main goal – to stay in the NBA. And Mikhailyuk’s performance at the EuroBasket aroused hope: if a Ukrainian plays well at a fairly decent international level and his team wins, then at least Svyatoslav will not be lost at the NBA level.

The reality turned out to be a little different. First, RJ Barrett plays the Ukrainian position for the Knicks. It was the rulers of the “pants” who didn’t hand him over to Utah for Mitchell. This means they trust their young stars (average 19.2 points in 29 games).

Also a direct competitor of our Swee is Quentin Grimes. The young defender plays 25 minutes per game and averages more than 8 points. Percentage of 3 point shots applied – 37.5. This is the second mark on the team and the first among basketball players who have completed more than 10 tries this season. Most importantly, Tom Thibodeau is confident in his defender’s ability to make himself non-tradable.

And what does Svyatoslav answer to this? He has played 11 out of 29 team matches so far. He averaged 4 minutes on the court, averaging 1.9 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.1 assists (2.7 in EuroBasket) and 0.1 steals (2.2 in EB). It should be noted that the percentage of “long-range” hits of the Ukrainian – 60%, which is the best in the team. So 6 out of 10 attacks of the ring hit the target. So, Tom Thibodeau demands from his simple role: find his position and shoot 3-pointers from there.

We add that the Knicks have 8 consecutive winning streaks. Svyatoslav was directly involved in only four of them. He had an average of 3 minutes on the court and made two 3-pointers, taking the field while New York’s opponent was flying a white flag.

Obviously, Mikhailyuk is striving for more responsibility. But minutes and to play a major role, Svyatoslav must first find a position on the bow and successfully shoot 3-pointers from there – he must be the master of the role that Thibodeau envisioned for him, very strict against changes.

The Knicks bosses who invested in Brunson were counting on more than just balancing in the play-in zone (currently sixth in the East). And an outstanding sniper who can perfectly fulfill his role is always highly respected. One in the top five in New York? It is unlikely that elite defenders will be needed there. Next rotation? Why not? Randle, Barrett and Brunson love to get under the opponent’s basket. It is important for them to have an elite sniper on the Ark.

Therefore, a Ukrainian in New York should roll up his sleeves and get to work. Constantly improve your distance shooting. Where there is high potential. Work harder on defense, which is a problem at NBA level. But Thibodeau is a defense expert. And experience of working with such a coach is necessary for our basketball player. And most importantly, Svyatoslav has exactly what New York needs.

Alexey Lan. In the last EuroBasket, our center was the best of the Ukrainian team in rebounds (6.7 per game) and blocks (1.2 per game). Most importantly, the basketball player did not hesitate to shoot 3-pointers (46.2% of sales). Alexei acquired this skill during Nick Ners’ performances in Toronto, and this allowed Len to continue his career in the NBA.

Just imagine: a rebounding center in Sacramento who knows how to shoot from behind the arc. Did you also introduce Domantas Sabonis? That’s right, Lithuanian is similar in functionality to Ukrainian. And the “cons” – they are similar in terms of problematic protection. All his life, Sabonis played with Turner, who knew at least a little bit of defense, and always wiped all his opponents from the Indiana ring with his strong shoulders so that the Lithuanian could calmly take the rebound.

What am I leading? Len and Sabonis are not very compatible, but on the contrary, they are very similar basketball players. Yes, and “Sacramento” plays a “big”, relying on an attack from a distance, where Barnes is “the fourth to yawn.” Thus, there is room for breakthroughs under the Fox basket. This is why the Ukrainian is an outspoken reservist at Kings. Not suitable for promotion. Why?

Lan plays every fourth game for his team. Only 3.6 minutes each. But that’s about half an hour of pure playing time on the field this season. And he hasn’t shot any 3-pointers yet. He did it 21 times (29% accuracy) despite being last season for the Kings. A total of 9 baskets (5 shots) this season. That’s pretty good for a reservist in Sacramento. But not a single “far”!

During the 20/21 season, Len played for Toronto and Washington. On Raptors for 7 games – 6 “long-range” trials and 50% of sales. In the capital of America – 57 matches and only 19 attempts. With 26% application. But why does Alexei not use his trump card now?

Sometimes you have to show off your skills. At least don’t be afraid to announce them. For example: “Look, coach, I can shoot from behind the arc! Look, Sabonis plays 32 minutes, I can take 16 minutes!”

Let’s just say that Sacramento has won 4 of the last 7 games. The Ukrainian player took part in only one of them – the lost Milwaukee, where Sacramento played with the reserve. He played for two minutes, made a missed 2-pointer, 1 rebound and a point pass.

Meanwhile, in total 30 minutes this season, Len hasn’t taken a single block shot (1.2 per EB), but has already taken 9 rebounds (1.1 per game average). What does this mean for the NBA? None. The Ukrainian without a consistent 3-pointer shot by Oleksiy in Toronto shows the Euroleague middle peasant/outcast level. That’s not bad, but not at NBA level. For Len, who dreams of staying abroad, this is not optimistic. This season is likely to be Alexei’s last season in the NBA and he will need to look for a club in Europe.

Vyacheslav Shevchenko