Friday’s game offered little encouragement for Minnesota Timberwolves fans. The Wolves fell short 128-110 to the Los Angeles Lakers in a game where their defense looked lackluster en route to Luka Dončić scoring 49 points. In addition, sophomore guard Rob Dillingham suffered a broken nose. All things considered, it was a brutal evening.
One bright spot for the Wolves, however, was the play of Bones Hyland. The VCU product played 16 minutes, scored nine points and two assists and shot 66.7 percent from the field. Hyland earned more minutes than last year’s starting point guard, Mike Conley.
Hyland also earned surprising late-game minutes in the Wolves’ season opener. Through two games, he is averaging 5.5 points and 1.5 assists while shooting 62.5 percent from the field.
When the Minnesota Timberwolves re-signed Bones Hyland in September, it was widely expected that he wouldn’t play much of a role. I definitely saw it as a pure depth addition to round out the roster, especially since he had a two-way contract with the team at the end of last season. Even after an impressive preseason, I didn’t think he had a real chance of cracking the Wolves rotation, and I’m far from the only person who held this belief.
Either way, after two games, it appears Hyland will remain in Chris Finch’s rotation. It just goes to show that you never know what to expect.
Bones Hyland has earned a spot in the Wolves’ rotation
While Hyland’s inclusion in the rotation is a surprise to many observers, including myself, there is no denying that he has made the most of his minutes. Hyland’s stats from the first game aren’t super impressive, but he showed great poise when thrown into the fire in the fourth quarter. And in the second game he made a clear positive contribution.
Hyland is the ideal mix of poise and “fuck it, let me grab a bucket.” I don’t think anyone would call Hyland a true steady ball handler like Conley or other point guards, and he certainly has some questionable decision-making moments. Yet, for the most part, Hyland has written the right lyrics.
He is best known for his isolation scoring, but he is also a good passer and moves well off the ball. For a Wolves team that lacks perimeter shots and playmaking skills besides Anthony Edwards, Hyland is valuable. It’s worth noting that Hyland was a 2021 first-round pick who averaged 19 minutes as a rookie on the Denver Nuggets.
Before the season, Finch discussed expanding the rotation to 10 players. He did say that the ninth and/or tenth men could be situational. So far, though, Hyland is seemingly locked into the rotation.
With Dillingham’s unfortunate injury and Conley playing little, Hyland feels like a mainstay in the Wolves’ revamped rotation for now.
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