If you would have told someone at the beginning of the season that Bones Hyland would be a key to the Minn unlocking their full potential, they would have called you crazy, considering Bones was the last player to sign on the roster, and for a non-guaranteed contract no less.
Coming into the season as the fourth point guard on the depth chart, it looked impossible for him to have a pathway to any non-garbage time minutes. But he proved everyone wrong, jumping Rob Dillingham in the depth chart right away, and eventually Mike Conley as well.
Bones has had a career resurgence this season
After looking like his NBA career may have been over last season, he's proved to be an important contributor off the Wolves' bench this season. So far, he's averaging 7.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. These aren't eye-popping numbers by any means, but he's having the most efficient season of his career.
What really sticks out to me, though, is in March, he's averaging 9.7 points and 2.0 assists on blistering shooting splits of 51.1/45.2/89.9. In a time where the Wolves have some individual slumps going on, Bones is playing his most efficient basketball, maybe of his career, at the perfect time.
In his career, he's been known as a shifty guard who's known to be erratic at times. This season, he's taken the erratic part out of his game and played a much more mature brand of basketball, earning Chris Finch's trust, which isn't said about everyone.
A bigger role in the playoffs for Bones could be what the Timberwolves need
In a playoff setting, when the game slows down, and you need players on your team to either go and get a bucket or create one for their teammates, the Wolves' top option is Anthony Edwards unanimously. But who is the second best at those skill sets? I think there is a real argument for Bones Hyland there.
Julius Randle's volatility on offense and his tendency to sabotage himself with mistakes makes him difficult to trust in that spot. Donte DiVincenzo is 100 times better working off-ball as a spacer and a cutter, and Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid can both create their own looks pretty well, but they aren't guys that are looked at to get their teammates involved.
This really just leaves Bones Hyland and Ayo Dosunmu as important secondary creators this team should lean on in the playoffs. It might sound weird to ask for Bones Hyland, the team's eighth man, to play more minutes in the playoffs, but lately, good things have happened when Bones has the ball, and having his skill set on display in the playoffs could be a big pressure reliever for the stars.