Bones Hyland Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Hyland, Jokic, Markkanen, Jazz Losing Streak

January 1st, 2023 at 1:48pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year reserve Nuggets guard Bones Hyland has developed into the de facto leader of the team’s bench, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Singer notes that Hyland has been showing plenty of promise of late, as when he scored 16 points to lead all bench scorers in a 124-119 Nuggets victory over the Heat Friday.

“Bones is such an important part to this team,” Nuggets head coach Michael Malone said. “He really is. When Bones is playing well, the impact he has, not only on that second unit, but the starters, is (huge).”

“Once I’m being myself out there, being Bizzy, playing with confidence, I think I give so much confidence within the team,” Hyland added. “I ignite that spark.”

Across 27 games this season, the 22-year-old is averaging 13.1 PPG, 3.4 APG and 2.1 RPG in 20.9 MPG for the 23-12 Nuggets.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

Two-time Nuggets MVP center Nikola Jokic has emerged as a potential contender for that hardware yet again this season, but he claims personal commendations are not a major motivator. “To be honest, the MVP trophy might mean a little more to me when I finish my career,” Jokic told Serbian TV Arena Sport in a recent interview (h/t EuroBasket). “I didn’t chase that recognition or think about it. When you want something and then you get it, it’s logical to be happy. However, that award wasn’t even on my mind, so maybe I’m not overjoyed enough because of that. I have to admit that I don’t play for records, nor to be the best in triple-doubles.” Speaking of triple-doubles, the 6’11” All-Star is nearly averaging one for the season, with 25.5 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 9.5 APG. For December, Jokic averaged 29.2 PPG on 60.4% field goal shooting, plus 12.3 RPG and 10.1 APG.
The 19-20 Jazz, losers of four straight contests, remain in the thick of the playoff hunt as the 10th seed in the West. There is nothing imminent on the trade front for Utah at present, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. Jones notes that the team may now consider breakout star forward Lauri Markkanen, enjoying by far his best season ever as the club’s leading scorer, to be a long-term Jazzman. The seven-footer is averaging a career-best 23.8 PPG on .531/.429/.857. He is also pulling down 8.5 RPG and dishing out 1.9 APG.
The Jazz are striving to be objective as they unpack the aforementioned four consecutive defeats, which can be chalked up to a variety of factors, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. Walden notes that, after a red-hot 10-3 start to the 2022/23 season, the Jazz have gone just 9-17. “We have a great group of guys, so everybody’s still working together, still having fun playing, still doing the proper work,” Markkanen said. “It’s a tough stretch — we could easily be 4-0 in the last four games, but that’s the NBA, and nobody’s gonna feel sorry for us. So we’ve got to figure out a way to get those wins down the stretch.”

Nuggets Notes: Hyland, Defense, Braun, Green

December 7th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

Everything was back to normal for Nuggets guard Bones Hyland Tuesday night after he was benched over the weekend for a lack of effort, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Hyland returned to his usual role, sparking Denver’s second unit with 20 points, including five three-pointers, and handing out five assists in 30 minutes of action.

Hyland played just five minutes Sunday in New Orleans, being pulled from the game as Jose Alvarado was lighting up Denver’s reserves on the way to a career-high 38 points. Nuggets coach Michael Malone talked to Hyland about the benching at Tuesday’s shootaround, according to Singer, and came away encouraged that his young guard understands what’s expected of him.

“As I told him this morning, ‘Offensively, we need your scoring, but it’s required to give forth the same effort on both ends of the floor,’” Malone said after Tuesday’s game. “… I felt he competed, I felt he fought, he contested, he tried to be physical with guys. That’s all I’m ever asking for, from Bones or for anybody.”

There’s more from Denver:

Team defense continues to be a concern for the Nuggets, who rank 26th in the league on that end of the court, per Harrison Wind of DNVR. Denver allowed the Mavericks to shoot 50% from the floor and 47.2% from beyond the arc Tuesday night in a one-point loss. “We’re losing games that we’re supposed to be winning,” Hyland said. “We know we’re not giving a sense of urgency to defend and go out there and compete every night. The locker room’s definitely frustrated.”
Malone is hoping to carve out a greater role for first-round pick Christian Braun, Singer tweets. “I gotta get him minutes,” Malone told reporters Tuesday. “… He’s a part of our future.” Braun has played in 22 of the team’s first 24 games, but is averaging just 12.9 minutes per night.
Jeff Green returned Tuesday after missing seven games with a knee contusion, but he’s been able to make a contribution even when he’s not playing, according to Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette. “His voice, he has the respect of the entire locker room. I think when he uses his voice and he steps up, I think it’s critical to our success, and it’s critical to our young players,” Malone said. “If it’s me all the time, that’s cool. We’re only going to be a good team. When our players and our veterans take ownership and leadership, I think that allows you the potential to go much further, much farther and much deeper.”

Injury Notes: MPJ, Hyland, Oladipo, Pelicans, Clippers, Holmgren

November 30th, 2022 at 2:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. (left heel contusion) will miss his fourth consecutive game on Wednesday, but Denver will get some reinforcements vs. Houston with Bones Hyland (non-COVID illness) set to make his return following a three-game absence, per Harrison Wind or DNVR Sports (Twitter links).

Hyland last played on November 22 and was hampered by his illness on that night, logging just nine minutes. The Nuggets guard said today that he “couldn’t breathe on the floor” during that game, but is “feeling great” now, according to Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Here are a few more health-related updates from around the NBA:

Heat guard Victor Oladipo practiced with the team on Tuesday, but there wasn’t any contact during that session and he won’t play on the current road trip, which runs through next Monday, head coach Erik Spoelstra said today (link via Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel). While Oladipo hasn’t played yet this season due to left knee tendinosis, it sounds like he’s making progress toward a return.
Pelicans guard CJ McCollum has exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols, but will remain sidelined on Wednesday as he attempts to get back into game shape, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. New Orleans did get some good news on Larry Nance Jr. — he’ll be available after missing Monday’s game with a right shoulder injury.
Still without Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, and Luke Kennard, the Clippers added Norman Powell to their injury report for Wednesday’s game in Utah due to a left groin strain. Powell is doubtful to play, says Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN (Twitter link).
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren will undergo a follow-up procedure to remove the “hardware” in his right foot from his previous surgery, a team spokesperson tells Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The procedure had been planned and is a sign that Holmgren is making progress, Mussatto adds.

Injury Updates: Beal, Bucks, Suns, Banchero, Lakers, More

November 11th, 2022 at 9:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Wizards guard Bradley Beal has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the team announced. However, Beal will still miss Saturday’s game against Utah due to “return to competition reconditioning,” with further updates to be provided as he continues to inch closer to a return.

Beal has missed three games while in the protocols, with the Wizards going 2-1 without their star shooting guard. Through nine games, he’s averaging 21.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists on .517/.325/.917 shooting in 35.1 minutes per night.

Here are several more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee soreness) and Jrue Holiday (right ankle sprain) were both ruled out for Friday’s loss to the Spurs, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Both players missed their second consecutive game for the league-leading Bucks, holders of a 10-2 record in the early going.
Similarly, Suns guard Chris Paul was ruled out for the second straight game Friday, in what turned out to be a loss to the Magic, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Fellow guard Landry Shamet (concussion symptoms) was also sidelined after scoring a season-high 16 points in Wednesday’s win over Minnesota. “We didn’t see anything. Just kind of jumped up on him last night. It just speaks to how complicated those things are. Can go for a while and not even know something is going on and then it just jumps up on you,” head coach Monty Williams said of Shamet (Twitter link via Rankin). For Orlando, No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero missed his second straight contest with a left ankle sprain.
The Lakers provided an update today on center Thomas Bryant and guard Dennis Schröder, both of whom are recovering from thumb surgery. They were evaluated this week and are said to be progressing well, and both players will be reevaluated next Thursday, as Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times relays (via Twitter).
Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 overall pick, has suffered a volar avulsion fracture to his right fifth finger, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release. He’s considered day-to-day going forward and is officially listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest at Dallas.
Nuggets guard Bones Hyland has entered the league’s health and safety protocols and was ruled out for Friday’s loss at Boston, Denver announced (via Twitter). Hyland is a key reserve for Denver, with averages of 14.0 points and 3.7 assists through nine games (20.7 minutes). He’ll need to pass some testing requirements before returning to action. The Nuggets play Sunday, Wednesday and Friday next week.
Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Pistons guard Cade Cunningham, was downgraded from questionable to out on Friday with left shin soreness, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. On a positive note, wing Alec Burks made his 2022/23 season debut following foot surgery, scoring 17 points in 25 minutes during Detroit’s loss at New York.

Nuggets Notes: Porter, Brown, Hyland, Green

November 8th, 2022 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. wasn’t part of the Nuggets‘ crunch-time lineup during Monday’s win over San Antonio, playing just 11 seconds in the final eight minutes of the game, per Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscription required). However, after Denver pulled out a 115-109 win, Porter was focused on celebrating his teammates rather than bemoaning his lack of fourth-quarter playing time.

“Even if I’m not on the floor at the end of the game, we got a lot of good players, so I’m not gonna be selfish. Even though I want to be on the floor, it’s whatever coach thinks gives us the best chance to win. I would’ve rather been sitting on the bench and cheering my teammates on and win the game, than me be in the game and we lose,” Porter said, before adding with a smile: “Even though I don’t think we would’ve lost.”

Porter scored 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting on Monday and is on a maximum-salary contract, so he could have griped about being benched down the stretch. But with the Nuggets opting for defense over offense in the fourth quarter, head coach Michael Malone was pleased with how Porter handled the decision.

“That’s a big part of our culture,” Malone said. “Being selfless. Get over yourself, it’s not about you. It’s about the team. … Our players understand, you gotta sacrifice. If you want to be a great team, we all gotta check our egos at the door.”

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post makes the case that the Nuggets should move Bruce Brown into their starting five in place of Porter, noting that Brown has developed chemistry with Nikola Jokic and would improve the group defensively. Porter, meanwhile, would get a chance to be the go-to scoring option on the second unit, according to Kiszla, who argues that the young forward has the potential to be “the best sixth man on the planet.”
Porter already makes the most sense as the starter to stagger with the second unit, according to Singer of The Denver Post, who observes that the forward meshes well with reserve guard Bones Hyland, with the two players sharing offensive responsibilities and Porter’s reliable outside shooting giving Hyland more room to attack defenses off the dribble.
After exercising his player option this past summer to remain in Denver, forward Jeff Green has emerged as a respected veteran voice in the locker room, Singer writes for The Denver Post. “I speak up with what I see,” Green said. “I make sure it’s heard, and guys take it how they want to take it.”

Northwest Notes: Daigneault, Hyland, Nuggets, Gobert

November 6th, 2022 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said he’ll be less forthcoming with the media regarding injuries, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman tweets.

The team was fined $25K by the league for failing “to disclose the game availability status of guard Josh Giddey in an accurate and timely manner” prior to Monday’s contest against the Magic. Daigneault believes his comments to the media the previous day led to the fine, so he’ll be more cautious in the future.

“I’m going to have to be a little less transparent when you say, ‘Hey, so and so, what did they do today?'” Daigneault said. “I’m going to be a little bit more rigid to the injury reporting because we obviously don’t want to put the organization in that situation again.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Bones Hyland has a flashy playing style that could get under the skin of some coaches but the Nuggets‘ Michael Malone doesn’t want to bottle up any of the point guard’s swagger, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. “This is how Bones plays,” Malone said. “I’m not going to take a player and try to make him into John Stockton when he’s not John Stockton.” Hyland had 24 points and seven assists in 25 minutes against San Antonio on Saturday.
Malone admits that shot-blocking is one of the Nuggets’ weak points since Nikola Jokic doesn’t provide that type of presence, Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports tweets. “We don’t have great rim protection,” Malone said. “It’s just not one of Nikola’s strengths. He’s a phenomenal player, but he’s not a shot-blocker.” Jokic has averaged 0.7 blocks per game during his career.
Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert won’t play against New York on Monday, the team tweets. Gobert was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols on Saturday.

Northwest Notes: Towns, Dort, Alexander-Walker, Hyland

October 4th, 2022 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is back in practice after being hospitalized for a non-COVID illness, Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Anthony-Towns still hasn’t fully recovered his voice and will be eased back into action, but expects to be ready for the season opener.

“I’m still recovering, I’m still getting better,” Towns said. ” I know it sounds weird I’m talking like this, but this is as loud as I can get. This is as much as I could give you.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

Thunder guard Luguentz Dort sustained a concussion during Sunday’s practice and has been placed in the league’s concussion protocol, according to a team press release. Dort, who was limited to 51 games last season, signed a five-year, $87.5MM contract in July and projects as the team’s starting small forward.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker appeared in 15 games with the Jazz last season after being acquired in a three-team deal. He has made a strong impression early in training camp as he attempts to solidify a rotation spot, Sarah Todd of the Deseret News writes. Alexander-Walker, who could be a restricted free agent next summer, believes his development has been stalled by playing under different systems. “It’s hard to develop under five different coaches in four years … I think it’s safe to say that in all four years I’ve had a different role and it’s not always clear what that role is,” he said. “I’m still trying to understand that and understand how I can get better.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone wasn’t happy with the performance of Bones Hyland in Monday’s preseason opener, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. “Bones has to do a better job of running his team, and when things aren’t going your way, keep playing,” Malone said. “I thought he took some plays off, which is unacceptable.” Hyland took the criticism well. “He came in here (for Tuesday’s practice) ready to work, ready to get better, and he owned it,” Malone said. “He didn’t come in here feeling sorry for himself. That’s a big step for him.”

Nuggets Exercise Bones Hyland’s 2023/24 Option

October 4th, 2022 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have picked up their team option on Bones Hyland for 2023/24, reports Mike Singer of The Denver Post (Twitter link). The move locks in Hyland’s $2,306,400 salary for his third NBA season.

The No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Hyland enjoyed a successful rookie season that saw him establish himself as a regular part of Denver’s backcourt rotation. The 22-year-old averaged 10.1 PPG, 2.8 APG, and 2.7 RPG in 69 appearances (19.0 MPG), with a shooting line of .403/.366/.856.

Even with Jamal Murray returning to action this season, Hyland is expected to once again play a key role for the Nuggets, who traded away point guard Monte Morris over the summer.

Denver’s next decision on Hyland – on his 2024/25 option – will be due next fall. Assuming that option is picked up, Hyland will become extension-eligible during the 2024 offseason and would be a restricted free agent in 2025 if he doesn’t sign an extension before then.

The Nuggets are also exercising their 2023/24 option on Zeke Nnaji. We’re tracking all of this year’s rookie scale team option decisions right here.

Northwest Notes: Hyland, Beverley, Mazzulla, Thunder

August 14th, 2022 at 10:40am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets‘ decision to part with Monte Morris and Will Barton in the trade for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope creates a larger opportunity for second-year guard Bones Hyland, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post.

Hyland made an immediate impact with Denver, averaging 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 69 games and earning a second-team spot on the All-Rookie Team. His strong first season gave the front office confidence to make the deal with Washington.

“I knew what the move was,” Hyland said. “They were already contacting me before and letting me know what was happening. After the moves even happened, the coaches called me, players called me, like, ‘Time to just go out there and be Bizzy. It’s a big opportunity for you.’ And they tell me every day, like, ‘You’re going to have a big role, big opportunity, a lot more minutes, just to just go out there and be yourself.’”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Patrick Beverley, who was shipped from the Timberwolves to the Jazz in the Rudy Gobert trade, disagrees with anyone who believes he was disrespected in Minnesota. Many observers were surprised to see the veteran guard moved after he helped to install a culture of toughness that enabled the Wolves to reach the playoffs, but Beverley is at peace with his time in Minnesota. “It took me five months to make $13MM,” said Beverley, who got that amount on a one-year extension in February. “Y’all can say they did me wrong. I say they did me right.” (video link from Pro City Hoops).
Celtics assistant Joe Mazzulla seemed like an unusual choice to be among the finalists for the Jazz head coaching job, but he told Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe that it’s how Utah CEO Danny Ainge operates. Mazzulla didn’t have a role on the front of Boston’s bench before being promoted this summer, but Ainge sees potential in him. “It was definitely surprising, but I think because Danny is Danny and a creative guy in how he thinks outside the box, that made it less surprising,” Mazzulla said. “Not many people think the way he does.”
Travis Roach of The Oklahoman warns that the Thunder‘s desire to build a new arena doesn’t come with guaranteed economic benefits.

Nuggets Notes: Murray, Hyland, Jokic, Connelly, Cousins

July 21st, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

When Jamal Murray was practicing with the Nuggets in April and weighing the possibility of returning from his ACL tear, he was more apprehensive on the defensive side of the ball than on offense, Mike Singer of The Denver Post said on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto.

“He was concerned about fighting around screens, getting dinged, diving for loose balls, and that half-second hesitancy that might still be there as a result of that ACL tear he had,” Singer said.

However, that hesitancy was no longer evident when Murray practiced with Denver’s Summer League team a few weeks ago, according to Singer, who suggests that Denver’s decision to trade Monte Morris signals the club is confident in Murray’s ability to return strong in 2022/23.

The Morris trade was also a sign that Bones Hyland will have a bigger role going forward, according to Scotto, who has heard that the 2021 first-rounder has put on six pounds of muscle this offseason and is working out twice a day as he prepares for a minutes bump in the fall.

Here’s more on the Nuggets:

Singer suggests that if Morris had reached free agency this summer, he likely would’ve earned a deal in the range of $14-15MM annually, as opposed to the $9MM he’ll make on his current deal. The Nuggets’ reluctance to pay that much to retain the point guard once his contract expires in 2024 was one reason why the team was willing to move him. As for Will Barton, his age (32 in January), injury history, and defensive limitations were factors in Denver’s decision to trade him, per Singer.
People around the Nuggets were “pinching themselves” when Nikola Jokic signed a five-year extension to remain with the team and appreciated that those negotiations were drama-free, according to Singer. As Singer points out, Denver is typically viewed as “a place where (star) free agents don’t want to come,” so Jokic’s decision to commit long-term was a testament to the relationship he has built with the franchise. Of course, the fact that he’ll be in line for a projected $270MM (an NBA record) on the five-year deal probably didn’t hurt either.
Singer believes that if the Nuggets had offered president of basketball operations Tim Connelly an extension worth about $5-6MM per year before the Timberwolves began pursuing him in earnest, he likely would’ve been “eager to stay” in Denver. However, the Nuggets were unwilling to match the five-year, $40MM offer Minnesota eventually made.
Singer got the impression there was some “friction” behind the scenes with DeMarcus Cousins last season, which is one reason why the Nuggets signed DeAndre Jordan this summer to fill that backup center role.