3 ways in which Bones Hyland can be important to the Denver Nuggets in the 2021-22 NBA season
Throughout the offseason, it looked as if the Denver Nuggets had a strong idea of the direction they wanted with their roster. After an impressive 2020-21 season, despite the loss of Jamal Murray, this Nuggets team looks positioned to be a contender in the Western Conference for years to come. That became even clearer when the Nuggets decided to give contract extensions to Aaron Gordon and Michael Porter Jr. this summer. Now, the Nuggets will patiently wait for Jamal Murray to return from his injury.
It's never easy when a team has to wait for one of their best players to return from a season-ending injury. After suffering a torn ACL in April last year, Murray will remain sidelined for the majority of the 2021-22 season as well. Still, the Nuggets look to have plenty of firepower to battle on a nightly basis. Nikola Jokic was the MVP last year and will be back to try and carry the load for the team. But there's also an intriguing addition to this Nuggets roster that could surprise some.
Can Bones Hyland help the Nuggets as a Rookie?
During the 2021 NBA Draft, the Denver Nuggets selected Nah'Shon "Bones" Hyland with the 26th pick. Usually teams wouldn't expect a pick towards the end of the first round to have a notable impact as a rookie, but Hyland is an interesting situation for this Nuggets team. One of the most prolific scoring guards in college basketball last year, could Bones Hyland give the Nuggets another dangerous weapon offensively? Let's take a look at how Bones Hyland can help the Denver Nuggets this year.
#3 Mentality
There's a reason Bones Hyland was one of the "risers" throughout the 2021 pre-draft process. He was a popular prospect who was generating a lot of buzz throughout scouts and NBA teams. While Hyland is known for his ability to put the ball in the hoop, he's also a fearless competitor. For a team that is going to need some energy, Hyland could be just what the doctor ordered. Nuggets head coach Mike Malone recently praised Hyland for his approach during training camp.
“He’s so eager to learn, wants to get better, and you just love being around him because that energy he brings every day, one, it’s genuine, and two, it’s contagious,” Malone said.
There's been a developing trust building early on between Malone and his new rookie. Hyland even recently added that he reached out to his head coach to see if he could sit down and watch film with the 21-year-old guard. Safe to say that it looks as if the Denver Nuggets might have something special developing with their new rookie.