Saturday's preseason game against the Miami Heat only further proved why Bones Hyland needs to be in the Minnesota Timberwolves' everyday rotation once the regular season rolls around. The Wolves rested all of their starters and Ayo Dosunmu during the matchup (as did the Heat) and still came out victorious, in large part due to Hyland's performance.
With the starters on the bench, the offense ran through Hyland and was incredibly successful. He finished with 23 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals without turning the ball over. What was even more impressive was the sheer efficiency with which he played.
He finished the game shooting 6-for-9 from the field, 5-for-6 from 3-point range, and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, one of the most efficient all-around performances of his career. If these efficient nights can become more common, he will absolutely have a valuable role on this team.
Bones Hyland should be the Timberwolves' backup point guard
Hyland is known for being a rather erratic player. When he has it rolling, it's great, but if he's having a tough night, it becomes hard to continue to play him. Those bumps are just what you sign up for when Hyland is on the court, because when he has it going, as he did on Saturday, he offers skills that nobody else on the bench unit can provide.
Dosunmu is likely viewed as the backup point guard on the outside, but he's much more of a combo guard. While Dosunmu can absolutely initiate the offense with the ball in his hands, he's an elite catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter, and utilizing his off-ball skill set could greatly improve the Wolves' offense when LaMelo Ball or Anthony Edwards are off the court.
Hyland is also good at creating his own looks, which is something the bench unit as a whole doesn't do a whole lot of. In a sense, Hyland is playing the role the Wolves hoped Rob Dillingham would be able to provide during his tenure here.
It isn't always going to be pretty during Hyland's minutes, as Wolves fans saw during their playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs. But he can single-handedly take over a basketball game if he has it going. That's a skill set that a lot of championship-caliber benches possess.
Every championship-caliber team has a slightly erratic but effective volume scorer off their bench to help when the offense dries up. The New York Knicks have Jordan Clarkson, the Spurs have Keldon Johnson, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have had Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe for the last couple of seasons, to name a few examples.
Hyland can be this type of player for Minnesota, and the backup point guard spot should be his.
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