The Denver Nuggets saw the talent, but they just weren't patient enough to let it develop. Drafted by the Nuggets with the 26th pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Bones Hyland quickly found himself as a core member of the Nuggets' bench, averaging 10.1 points in 19 minutes his rookie year.
But the Nuggets gave Bones all of 111 games, and that was that. Now he's got a chance to come up big against his former team, and the Nuggets are looking to avoid getting burned by Bones, who's recently been playing at an elevated level for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Nuggets' first-round playoff opponent.
The Nuggets gave Bones away in a four-team trade to the Los Angeles Clippers at the trade deadline in 2023. The Clippers subsequently sent him to the Atlanta Hawks for a couple of days in 2025, after which he was signed to a two-way and eventually a standard contract by the Timberwolves.
Bones has been great bench depth lately
Over the final 15 games of the season, Bones averaged 14 points on 38% three point shooting. That's a substantial step-up from his 8.5 points on the season, and his minutes increased to 24.5, up from 16.6 minutes over the whole 82 games. He ranks fifth on the team in scoring over that time.
Bones isn't afraid to let it fly and is a lot like Tim Hardaway Jr. for the Nuggets. Bones averaged 7.2 three-point attempts per game over the last 15 and made 2.8. Hardaway launched 7.2 and made 2.9.
And we all know how games swing when Tim Hardaway Jr. gets going. Bones has that same ability. The Nuggets can't afford to let him get hot. Losing any game or the series would be painful enough, but losing because Bones elevated his game would add to the sting.
The Timberwolves shoot the three well
To stop Bones, the Nuggets will have to play some better perimeter defense. The Timberwolves shoot the three-ball well, and they're sixth in the NBA in three-point percentage at 37%.
In the Nuggets' only loss of the season to Minnesota, Bones was 3-3 from three, and he finished with 18 points in 15 minutes off the bench. The Wolves as a team shot 14-36 against the Nuggets, good for 39%. The Nuggets lost 117-108 at home.
The Nuggets are favored in the series, and it would be an upset if they lost. It would be an even bigger upset if they lose, and it's because Bones burned them.
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