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The Utah Jazz have endured a rough start to the 2025-26 season, with several players underperforming in the first few weeks. A 1-8 record through nine games has highlighted the team's struggles, and head coach Will Hardy has been forced to make adjustments to his rotation. Injuries to usual frontcourt starters Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jusuf Nurkic have left Hardy searching for creative solutions to distribute minutes, and while some strategies have shown promise, many have not.
Amid the turbulence, one player has stood out for all the wrong reasons: Svi Mykhailiuk. After a career-best season with Utah in 2024-25, Mykhailiuk was expected to be a reliable wing contributor, playing 15 to 20 minutes per night, spacing the floor, and thriving off the ball. Instead, through nine games, he has arguably been the least effective player in the Jazz's rotation. His scoring average sits at just 3.7 points per game in over 16 minutes per night, and his shooting splits—28.3% from the field and 20.7% from three—are on pace for career lows.
Defensively, the numbers are equally concerning. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Jazz allow 7.5 more points and shoot 5.4% better from the field per 100 possessions when Mykhailiuk is on the floor. His overall impact has been a net negative on both ends, making it increasingly difficult for the coaching staff to justify continuing to give him minutes.
Key Analysis
Every player, even seasoned veterans, goes through slumps, but Mykhailiuk's prolonged struggles are hurting the team. The Jazz have alternatives: they could give more minutes to frontcourt depth pieces to boost offensive rebounding or interior defense, turn to Isaiah Collier for a more traditional point guard look, or increase playing time for Josh Okogie or Josh Green to improve defensively. Until Mykhailiuk finds his shooting stroke or becomes at least average on defense, keeping him out of the rotation and exploring other options seems prudent. A fresh look with more size or versatility could help revitalize the Jazz's struggling bench production.