On the TNT broadcast prior to Wednesday night’s Game 1 between the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors, TNT revealed the All-Rookie teams for the 2021-22 NBA season. Bones Hyland, the Denver Nuggets exciting young rookie guard, was named to the second team after an excellent rookie campaign.
Rookie of the Year winner Scottie Barnes headlined a very strong first team that included first overall pick Cade Cunningham, dynamic big man Evan Mobley, scoring talent Jalen Green, and all-around forward Franz Wagner.
Bones joined Chicago guard Ayo Dosunmu, Indiana wing Chris Duarte, Oklahoma City guard Josh Giddey, and New Orleans’ defensive stopper Herbert Jones on the second team. The 2021 draft class has several impressive talents, and there are even more talented players that just missed the cut.
On the season, Hyland played in 69 games, averaging 10.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 19.0 minutes per game. His averages were buoyed by elite three-point shooting with Bones maintaining a 36.6 three-point percentage on 5.2 attempts per game, which translates to an absurd 13.4 threes attempted per 100 possessions.
Bones’ supreme confidence (and ability to deliver on said confidence) proved incredibly valuable for the Nuggets bench unit throughout the season. Beginning the season outside of the rotation, Bones quickly became a mainstay with his shooting and scoring abilities, but it wasn’t until he took over as the backup point guard when the Nuggets bench unit truly began to thrive. His combination of playmaking and scoring helped make him an effective weapon for the Nuggets all the way through to the playoffs.
The sky may truly be the limit for Bones as he continues to carve out his place in the NBA, but it’s clear that he will be dynamic for many years to come if he stays on his current trajectory. It appears the Nugget have found a gem in Bones Hyland, yet another find by Tim Connelly and the Nuggets scouting department.
