Bones Hyland Didn’t Need To Dominate the Ball To Detonate On Dallas

Bones Hyland gave the Dallas Mavericks plenty of problems Thursday night, and they didn't take long to realize it.

The Details

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard came off the bench firing from deep and immediately found his rhythm, knocking down three 3-pointers in the first half while putting constant pressure on Dallas whenever he had the ball.

The Mavericks couldn’t find a consistent way to defend him. Give Hyland space, and he was ready to shoot. Press up on him, and he could get downhill. Once the defense started collapsing, he was finding teammates. By the end of the night, Hyland had 24 points and eight assists in just 22 minutes, helping Minnesota turn a competitive game into a 133-94 blowout.

It was his best performance since

Anthony Edwards went down. Hyland shot 7-of-10 from the field and an impressive 5-of-6 from three. But he wasn't just running around looking for his next shot. He was making Dallas defend every part of his offensive game, which opened up the floor for everyone else. His 24 points led all scorers, while his eight assists reminded everyone that Hyland can give Minnesota another creator when the ball is in his hands.

“Teammates are setting great screens for me,” Hyland told reporters after the game. “Let me get downhill with the screens or pull-up threes or in transition. I think everything’s just flowing in the right direction.”

That might be the best explanation for why Hyland has looked so dangerous lately. His deadly 3-point shot forces defenders to stay attached to him, but the screens and space around him give him chances to attack before the defense can set up. Against Dallas, he was able to get into actions repeatedly. Once he got a step on his defender, the Mavericks had to decide whether to help or let him finish, and they did neither well.

Mavs head coach Dusty May saw the same problem from the other side. Hyland wasn't just making open catch-and-shoot 3s that Dallas could chalk up to a hot night. He was creating shots for himself, often off the dribble, which made it much harder for the Mavericks to take the shot away without giving him another way to hurt them.

“Bones comes in, goes 5-of-6,” May said after the game. “A lot of those are off the bounce from three.”

Once Bones started hitting those tough pull-up threes, Dallas had to step farther out to defend him, which gave him plenty of room to attack the defense and kick it out to shooters or hit cutters to the rim. The result was eight assists and only one turnover in just 22 minutes, the kind of efficiency Minnesota needs from its bench when Edwards isn't available.

Hyland earned his increased responsibility. He spent the offseason working hard to prepare for a bigger role after getting a taste of what he could do for Minnesota last season. He said he approached the summer differently because he wanted to be ready if the opportunity came. To prepare for the season, he put himself through four workouts a day for about a month and a half.

“This is definitely the role I was envisioning for sure,” Hyland said. “That’s why I worked out so hard this summer.”

With Edwards out, the opportunity has arrived to show what that hard work has gotten him. Hyland has also given Finch another reason to trust him with more minutes. His defense has become more active, especially in how he's fighting through screens and staying attached to ball handlers instead of allowing players to hunt him on defense.

Finch noticed it against Dallas, praising the effort that doesn't always show up in the box score.

“I love the way he's just like competing his tail off defensively,” Finch said. “Slithering his way through screens, he's kind of being a pest. That's what we need him to do.”

Hyland doesn’t need to become a great defender for the Wolves to want to play him more. His offense just needs to be good enough to keep him on the floor, given the great defenders the Wolves have around him.

When he's hitting threes, getting downhill, creating for teammates, and competing defensively, there aren't many reasons for Finch to pull him out of the game. Thursday was a good example of that balance, especially because Hyland wasn't forcing anything. He took whatever Dallas gave him and made the Mavericks pay for it.

Hyland has always been capable of putting 20-plus points on any given night when his shot is falling. The question has been whether he can make the rest of his game matter enough to earn those opportunities consistently. With Edwards out, he's getting more chances to answer that question. Thursday was definitely his strongest case yet.

Dallas couldn't keep him in front, couldn't give him space, and had no hope of stopping him once he started getting downhill. Hyland didn't need to dominate on the ball to dominate his minutes. He scored efficiently, created for others, and kept the pressure on until the Mavericks were buried. It is getting harder just to view him as a player filling minutes until Minnesota's star guard returns.

Logan Harlow

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