Is Bones Hyland nervous for his playoff debut? Of course not

Austin Rivers will never forget his first playoff game.

He was 22-years-old, in his third NBA season, and coming off the bench for a veteran Clippers team with championship aspirations led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The third-seeded Clippers drew the Spurs in the first round in the 2015 postseason. Rivers drew a future Hall-of-Famer as his defensive assignment.

“I was fucking panicking right before the game,” Rivers said. “I was excited, but I was so nervous. They’re like, ‘You’re coming off the bench and you’re going to guard Ginobili.’ I’m like, ‘Jeez.'”

Just as the Clippers counted on Rivers off the bench in 2015, the Nuggets are counting on their youngest rotation player for key minutes in their first-round series vs. the Warriors. Game 1 is set for Saturday (6:30 pm MT/ABC). Rookie Bones Hyland is not just in the Nuggets’ playoff rotation, he’s a major piece to Denver’s puzzle.

How will Hyland react to his first playoff minutes? He’s already played in big games for the Nuggets this season and performed well under the bright lights. Hyland tallied 21 points and went 4-9 from 3-point range in 31 minutes in Philadelphia on ESPN back on March 14. He scored 16 points and sunk 4 of his 6 attempts from distance on TNT vs. the Clippers in late-March. In a Sunday ABC game against the Lakers earlier this month, Hyland finished with 10 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals. The Nuggets outscored the Lakers by 11 points in his 27 minutes.

But the playoffs are a different animal. Every possession means so much more. Teams scout their opponent at a different level than they do in the regular season. Everyone knows everyone’s tendencies. Your weaknesses are magnified. Your strengths are minimized.

Following Thursday’s practice and before the Nuggets boarded their charter bound for San Francisco, I asked Rivers how Hyland can make sure the environment in Golden State on Saturday doesn’t get the better of him.

“It’s going to get the better of him at times,” Rivers said. “There’s no way to way to explain it other than to go through it the first time. He’s going to play in an environment that he’s never played in before. To double that, he’s going against the Warriors. I think he thinks he knows. Because I remember I thought I knew.”

Don’t tell Hyland that. The 21-year-old was brimming with confidence on Thursday just under 48 hours before his first career playoff games. It’s the only way Hyland knows. His confidence is one of his defining qualities. Whenever Hyland steps onto the court, he never thinks he’s going to lose. He always thinks he’s going to go off. He thinks it could be his night every night.

It’s why this series is such an intriguing test for Hyland, who’s one of potentially five rookies along with Scottie Barnes, Ayo Donsumu, Kessler Edwards and Evan Mobley and Herb Jones if Cleveland and New Orleans win a postseason spot via the play-in that are definitely in line for rotation minutes in these playoffs. The Nuggets are counting on Hyland to captain their bench. When Hyland plays well, the second unit is usually in good shape. Denver needs Hyland to be consistent to win.

He’s definitely not nervous about what awaits him at Chase Center on Saturday.

“I go into games with a lot of confidence,” said Hyland. “I know my work always shows for itself. I’ve never been a shy kid or a kid who’s nervous for any moment. I’m always ready for the bright lights. That’s something I never shy away from. Saturday night game, I can’t wait.”

“I’ve never experienced it on this level. I know I’m more than ready though.”

Hyland’s story has been a defining part of this Nuggets season. He emerged in November as a rotation player on Denver’s second unit. In February, he became the Nuggets’ backup point guard. Over the last couple of months of the regular season, Hyland was a part of Denver’s closing lineup in a handful of wins.

Since March 1, Hyland’s averaging 14 points (the third-most on the Nuggets in that span) and 4.6 assists per game. He’s shooting 41.2% (49-119) from 3-point range over Denver’s last 20 matchups. Hyland said Thursday that he doesn’t plan on changing his game in the playoffs. He’s still going to play with the same pace, confidence and swag.

“He’s got a big heart,” Rivers said of Hyland. “That dude’s a competitor. I don’t ever worry about Bones on any stage.”

This week, Hyland has gone through a crash course in playoff prep. Jeff Green has been in Hyland’s ear and stressing to the rookie that details are everything in the postseason and that it’s important to get the best possible shot on every possession. In his spare time, Hyland has been pouring over film of the Warriors’ defense, how they defend point guards, and ways that he might be able to exploit their scheme.

At this point in the season, Hyland understands defensive coverages at a level that he didn’t earlier this year. But the Warriors’ second-ranked defense that has All-NBA caliber defenders like Draymond Green and the ball-hawking Gary Payton II, who will likely match up with Hyland when both benches are in the game, will present challenges that the Wilmington, Delaware product and the Nuggets haven’t seen all season.

Denver needs him to be ready for the moment. Hyland believes he is.

“I’m just going to go out there and get Bizzy,” he said.