Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Raptors Report: Svi Mykhailiuk Stars, Juancho Hernangomez Struggles at FIBA Qualifiers
The jockeying for final roster spots on the Toronto Raptors continued Saturday afternoon as Svi Mykhailiuk and Juancho Hernangomez took the court at the FIBA European Qualifiers.
It hadn't been a pretty start to the week for either European, but Mykhailiuk turned things around in his second outing for Ukraine. The 25-year-old dropped 19 points on 6-for-15 shooting, nailing a pair of three-pointers while chipping in six rebounds and six assists in a 91-88 loss to Iceland. Though five turnovers in the game didn't help his cause, he finished the +8 despite the three-point loss.
As for Hernangomez, the 6-foot-9 Spaniard tallied just five points in 21 minutes on 2-for-5 shooting. He grabbed four rebounds but missed a pair of free throws for Sergio Scariolo's squad in a 86-64 victory over the Netherlands.
The Raptors likely won't put too much weight into FIBA competition, but the two Europeans are essentially vying for one roster spot this summer with competition from D.J. Wilson and Gabe Brown. Both Mykhailiuk and Hernangomez are on fully guaranteed minimum contracts for the season alongside Justin Champagnie and Dalano Banton who are virtually shoo-ins to make the roster.
Nick Nurse and the Canadians will play Monday evening in Panama City against Panama. The team, however, will likely be without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, per Sportsnet's Michael Grange, along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Cory Joseph who will both be sidelined.
Further Reading
Raptors sign Christian Koloko, hard capping the team for 2022-23 season
Raptors roster battles haven't helped their cases at FIBA qualifiers
Raptors expected to have 7th best record in East, oddsmakers say
