Svi Mykhailiuk is starting to play some of the best basketball of his NBA career as he continues to integrate with his new teammates in Oklahoma City. Over the past two games, hes produced a total of 38 points while shooting an efficient 66.7 percent from the floor. However, its been more than just his scoring thats earned him a starting spot over the past few games for the Thunder.

Its no surprise that Mykhailiuk is having success at the NBA level, especially when you look more closely at how he got here.

Mykhailiuk was born in Ukraine and was an international basketball phenom by the time he was 14 years old. One of the most well known players of his age in Eastern Europe, he was part of the U16 European Championship team for Ukraine in 2013. In 2014, he became one of the youngest players in Nike Hoop Summit history at 16 years old playing alongside older guys like Clint Capela, Nikola Jokic, and Karl-Anthony Towns. Furthermore, in that same year at age 16, he played in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

With his extremely high level of play at such a young age, Mykhailiuk had offers to play for some of the biggest clubs in the world, such as Real Madrid, where he would have ultimately crossed paths with Luka Doncic. While most kids his age would have taken the lucrative contract to play for one of these international teams, he prioritized coming to the United States to play college basketball. With both of his parents being educators, going to college and getting an education was a top priority.

At just 17 years old, Mykhailiuk ultimately landed at the University of Kansas, one of the most prolific basketball schools in the country. He became the youngest player in Big 12 basketball history, making a huge leap for someone of his age playing in one of the most competitive conferences in the NCAA. While many thought he could potentially be a one-and-done lottery pick, it took Mykhailiuk some time to get acquainted and ended up playing a full four years at Kansas.

I feel like it was a little different Mykhailiuk said. Me coming in super early, I was playing against 21-year-old guys and at my age I wasnt prepared mentally or physically. It was tough. I took some time to adjust, but at the end of the day it worked out pretty well.

Playing four years of college basketball certainly has its benefits, but also can negatively impact draft stock. The experience of playing a full four years is key for many successful NBA players, as it gives them time to mature both on and off the court. For Mykhailiuk specifically, he had the luxury of playing under one of the top coaches in the sport and got the experience of leading the Jayhawks to a Final Four in 2018. When asked about how much those four years helped him make the transition to the NBA, Mykhailiuk was thankful things worked out the way that they did.

I feel like Coach Self and all the coaching staff helped. Living in Kansas helped me learn to live the American life. said Mykhailiuk. I feel like it prepared me a lot. Being under Coach Self I feel like is one of the best things to happen to me, especially at an early age. Thats one of the things that prepared me for the next level.

On the flip side, four years of college results in being older than most draft prospects and also gives NBA scouts more time to dissect your game. Luckily for Mykhailiuk, with how young he was entering college, he was still only 21-years-old heading into the draft.

Coming into the 2018 NBA Draft, Mykhailiuk was criticized for having a short wingspan that left teams wondering if he had what it took to be a serviceable defender in the league, even standing at 6-foot-8. There was no question he was going to be an elite shooter, with 44.4 percent of his threes being converted on his senior year. It was the other parts of his game that left scouts wondering, which ultimately led to Mykhailiuk being drafted in the second round, No. 47 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.

After spending time with the Lakers and Pistons, Mykhailiuk was recently traded to the Thunder for Hamidou Diallo. While many could assume he would just bring shooting to the table, its been his defense that has been most impressive. Mykhailiuk has spent a ton of time working on making his game more well-rounded, putting extra emphasis on defense. With Lu Dort sidelined in concussion protocol, Thunder Head Coach Mark Daignealt recently assigned Mykhailiuk as the primary defender against Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, who is one of the most lethal scorers in the entire league. Doncic was held under his season average, scoring just 25 points.

I feel like the more games you play in the NBA, the more you learn about the game and other players. Just play hard and smart and know your personnel. Give your effort and those types of things makes it easier. said Mykhailiuk. At the end of the day, some guys you just gotta make their life tougher. Its really hard to stop them. If you do your best and follow coachs scheme, your defense can improve.

For the amount of experience he has, Mykhailiuk is still early in his development. Even with four years of high-level college and almost three years of NBA basketball under his belt, hes still just 23 years old. Its clear that Mykhailiuk still has a very high ceiling and could only develop into an even better player. As he continues to improve on his defense and playmaking ability, he seems to be a piece that Oklahoma City could keep around long term.

Entering restricted free agency this summer, the Thunder will have the opportunity to do just that, making Mykhailiuk another young cornerstone as they rebuild the roster towards contention. In a market where shooters have been highly paid in recent years, he could be looking at a well-deserved payday. I recently asked Mykhailiuk about his time with the Thunder thus far and if he sees this being a team he could play for long-term.

For sure! I love it here. said Mykhailiuk. I love everybody. Love my teammates, love my coaches, the front office, the whole organization. I feel like its a great place to be as a player and a person.

Just seven games into his Thunder career, Svi Mykhailiuk is already becoming a fan favorite and one of the teams better players. With a unique path to get to this point, his hard work has paid off as he settles into what seems to be a great situation in Oklahoma City. While trading away Hamidou Diallo wasnt an easy decision for the Thunder, the move to acquire Mykhailiuk seems to be a good one to this point.