The Utah Jazz have plenty of problems in the opening stretch of the season, and Svi Mykhailiuk has become one of the clearest ones.
Utah is 1-8 through nine games, so the slow starts around the roster are hardly a surprise. What has stood out is how Will Hardy has handled the rotation while dealing with injuries to two usual frontcourt starters, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic. That has pushed him into some unusual minute distributions, and not all of them have paid off.
Mykhailiuk, though, has been the toughest fit to justify so far. After a career-best season with Utah in 2025-26, he was expected to be a reliable wing option this year - the kind of player who could give the Jazz 15 to 20 minutes, space the floor and stay useful without needing the ball in his hands. Instead, nine games in, he has struggled to make an impact on either end.
The numbers are rough. Mykhailiuk is averaging 3.7 points per game in a little over 16 minutes a night, while shooting 28.3% from the field and 20.7% from three. Both marks are currently on pace to be career lows.
The defensive side has not offered much relief. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Jazz are allowing 7.5 more points and giving up a 5.4% better field-goal percentage per 100 possessions when Mykhailiuk is on the floor.
That kind of production makes the rotation decision harder and harder. Every veteran goes through slumps, but right now Mykhailiuk is giving Utah too little offense and too little resistance defensively to keep his spot secure. He is not offering enough compared with other options who could help the second unit in different ways.
Utah has alternatives. The Jazz could lean more on frontcourt depth to improve offensive rebounding or interior defense.
They could also turn back to Isaiah Collier for a more traditional point guard look. Josh Okogie or Josh Green are other names who could see more run if the team wants a better defensive presence.
For now, though, the case for keeping Mykhailiuk in the rotation is getting thinner by the game. Until his shot comes around or he can at least hold his own defensively, the Jazz may have no choice but to park him and try a different look with more size or versatility off the bench.
In Other News...
Jazz Loss To Dallas Exposed A Problem That Keeps Dragging Them Down
The Jazzs NBA Cup loss to Dallas was another reminder that the margins are still working against them. In a 112-100 defeat, Utah let the game slip in the possession battle, with turnovers piling up and second-chance opportunities going the other way, the kind of issues that can quickly erase any offensive rhythm.
Will Hardy pointed to those same problem areas afterward, and it is not hard to see why. Utah did not generate enough extra chances, and the ball security issues kept putting the defense back under pressure, leaving the Jazz with another frustrating example of how physicality and discipline can decide a game long before the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Lauri Markkanen Clouds Jazz Hopes To Snap This Brutal Skid
The Jazz head into their matchup with the Timberwolves still searching for a way out of a seven-game losing streak, and the timing is not ideal with Lauri Markkanen on the injury report. Utah has leaned on him early this season, with the forward appearing in eight of nine games and providing steady scoring and rebounding production, but his availability now hangs in the balance as the team tries to steady itself.
Markkanen is listed as questionable because of a right wrist sprain, the same issue that has already interrupted his season. For a Jazz team trying to stop the slide and get back on track, his status looms large because so much of the offense flows through him when he is on the floor, and Utah will be watching closely before tipoff to see whether it can count on one of its most important pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Darryn Peterson Gives Jazz Fans A Reason To Believe Again
Darryn Petersons latest outing offered a reminder of why the Jazz are paying close attention to his rookie season. In a loss to Dallas, he put together one of his more complete performances, scoring 21 points and adding impact plays across the floor as Utah continued to search for steadier footing. For a team trying to build something more durable, nights like this matter because they hint at a player who is starting to look more settled in the NBA game.
Peterson said afterward that the difference has come from feeling more comfortable with his role, and he credited coach Will Hardy for pushing him along the way. That kind of growth is exactly what the Jazz want to see from a young cornerstone, especially when the results around him are still uneven. The broader question now is whether this version of Peterson can become the kind of consistent presence Utah can lean on as the future comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]