With a loaded Minnesota Timberwolves' guard rotation, Bones Hyland found himself on the outside looking in at the start of the season. He played situationally through the first four games, but was clearly not a rotational mainstay. Anthony Edwards' unfortunate knee injury opened up an opportunity for Hyland to play regular minutes.
So far, Hyland has taken full advantage of this opportunity. In the last two games, Hyland is averaging 18 minutes, 16 points, and 5.5 assists with 52.2/40/100 shooting splits. During the loss to the Golden State Warriors, Hyland helped spark a rally with his perimeter scoring. In the Wolves' win over the Los Angeles Clippers, he was a standout player, recording19 points and eight assists.
Hyland's strong play may lead to Chris Finch giving him a role even when Edwards returns in roughly two months. At the very least, Hyland is starting to make a compelling case to be a rotational mainstay.
If Bones Hyland keeps it up, he'll need to stay in the Timberwolves' rotation
Hyland gives the Timberwolves' bench a scoring and energy boost. With Edwards sidelined and Ayo Dosumnu, in turn, taking his place in the starting lineup, it was fair to wonder how the Wolves' bench would hold up. Encouragingly, over the past two games, the Wolves' bench has averaged 50 points, and Hyland has been a big part of this.
Hyland plays at the breakneck speed that the Timberwolves thrive at. He can create for himself at a high rate, especially as a pull-up jump shooter. At the same time, Hyland is a comfortable spot-up shooter, which helps him fit alongside the Wolves' established players. This ability to function with or without the ball makes him a viable rotation player even when Edwards returns.
While he's not a natural playmaker or table-setter, Hyland has been making some solid reads as a passer and helping organize the Wolves' offense. Simply put, he's done everything you could ask for from a backup guard, and looks not just like a rotation player, but a high-end rotation player.
There are some valid counters to Hyland remaining in the rotation. One could argue the Wolves at full strength don't need another perimeter scorer. Regardless, having another offensive weapon who can score in a flurry will only make the Wolves' offense more dangerous. Plus, as noted, Hyland doesn't need the ball to be successful.
For a Wolves team that wants to play fast and overwhelm teams with a plethora of offensive threats, Hyland fits right in. And with how he's playing, he looks like a no-brainer rotation player.
Another counterargument is that while the Wolves could benefit from his skill set, the rotation will simply be too loaded. It won't be easy, especially considering that Donte DiVincenzo is primed to return at some point, and Finch would have to lean into a deeper rotation (unless he cuts Trey Lyles' minutes).
Still, I don't think a 10-man rotation is totally insane. In fact, with how fast the Wolves want to play, I think a deep rotation makes a lot of sense. LaMelo Ball not playing a heavy minute load also opens up this possibility.
There's still a lot of time before Edwards returns, and Hyland will have to prove that he can be consistent (something he's always struggled with). However, Hyland's early play without Edwards is planting the seeds for him to stay in the rotation.
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