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 notching 49 points. Additionally, second-year guard Rob Dillingham suffered a fractured nose. All things considered, it was a brutal night.
However, one bright spot for the Wolves was the play of Bones Hyland. The VCU product played 16 minutes, posting nine points and two assists while shooting 66.7 percent from the field. Hyland earned more minutes than last year's starting point guard, Mike Conley.
Hyland also surprisingly earned 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 back in September, it was widely expected that he wouldn't have much of a role. I certainly viewed it as a pure depth signing to round out the roster, especially as he was on a two-way contract with the team at the end of last season. Even after an impressive preseason, I didn't think he had any real shot at cracking the Wolves rotation, and I'm far from the only person who held this belief.
Regardless, through two games, it looks like Hyland is here to stay 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 being in the rotation is a surprise to many observers, including myself, there's no denying that he's made the most of his minutes. Hyland's stats from the first game aren't super impressive, but he displayed great poise for being thrown into the fire in the fourth quarter. And in the second game, he was a clear positive contributor.
Hyland is the ideal blend of poise and "screw it, let me get a bucket." I don't think anyone would refer to Hyland as a true steady ball-handling presence like Conley or other point guards, and he certainly has a few questionable decision-making moments. Still, for the most part, Hyland has made the right reads.
He is most known for his isolation scoring, but he's also a high-quality passer and moves well off the ball. For a Wolves team that lacks perimeter shot creation and playmaking next to 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 include 10 players. He did mention that the ninth and/or 10th man could be situational. So far, though, Hyland has seemingly been locked into the rotation.
With Dillingham's unfortunate injury and Conley not playing a ton, for now, Hyland feels like a mainstay in the Wolves' revamped rotation.