"We’re not going to put Bones in a box": Why Nuggets only want the rookie to be himself

When Michael Malone took the Kings head coaching job in 2013, Isaiah Thomas was coming off a strong second season in Sacramento. Thomas averaged 13.9 points as a 23-year-old during the 2012-13 season — promising numbers for the former 60th overall pick — but Malone thought there was more to unlock.

He thought there was another level Thomas’ game could ascend to.

“I let Isaiah be him,” Malone said. “And he blossomed.

Thomas’ scoring average jumped to 20.3 points per game in his first season under Malone in 2013-14. Two years later in Boston, Thomas’ averaged rose 22.2 points. Then came the 28.9 points he poured in per game during his All-NBA Second Team season in 2016-17 when the King of the Fourth’s legend was written.

Malone doesn’t like to reminisce about his Sacramento Kings days too often. Who can blame him? He was fired 24 games into his second season with an 11-13 record and his All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins sidelined with viral meningitis. Kings owner Vivek Ranadive is set to hire his fifth coach in eight seasons since he fired Malone, who’s now the 5th longest-tenured coach in the NBA. Remember, it always starts at the top with NBA teams. And at the top is ownership.

While there are few, if any, similarities to how Malone’s Nuggets tenure has gone compared to his 106-game run with the Kings, he still pulls on the lessons he learned while stationed in Northern California for a little over a year.

One of those centers around how he helped mold Thomas’ game early in his career. This season in Denver, Malone’s tasked with sculpting another young guard’s game: Bones Hyland.

“We’re not going to put Bones in a box. We’d never do that,” Malone said earlier this season. “We want him to play to his strengths.”

That answer was in response to a question I asked Malone about the potential balancing act he might have to perform with Hyland over the next several months. Here’s a 21-year-old rookie with a propensity to launch 3s from the logo that’s been placed on a veteran-laden roster with championship aspirations and a defined offensive identity.

Can those forces mix successfully? Malone thinks they can.

“You’ve got to understand the player that you draft,” he said.

Essentially, the Nuggets are letting Bones be Bones, while of course fine-tuning his game and challenging him to get better in the areas where he needs to grow. They’re allowing to launch the 35-foot triples that few rookies — even the ones on lottery-bound teams — can get away with hoisting. They’re willing to let him play through his missed shots, mistakes and take risks that could backfire.

It’s all part of the Nuggets’ development plan for their No. 26 overall pick.

“As soon as I check in, my teammates always tell me just go in, be myself and play my game,'” Bones said.

Hyland returned to the Nuggets’ lineup in Atlanta after he was sent home prior to Denver’s loss vs. Minnesota for a violation of team rules. But the rookie came back with an edge Friday and poured in a career-high 24 points (8-11 FG’s, 4-5 3FG’s), 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 26 minutes.

Hyland led a Nuggets’ bench unit that combined to score 50 points in Denver’s 133-115 win over the Hawks. It propelled the Nuggets to a much-needed win to open their three-game road trip.

“We missed Bones last game. We need him here,” Malone said Friday. “I know he’s a rookie. I know he’s the 26th pick in the first round. I don’t care about any of that. He’s a good player. He’s helped us win games this year, and we’re a better team when Bones Hyland is available. And he knows that. This is a learning process for all young men. Tonight, he’s back with the team, he learned his lesson, and he helped us get a really important road win to get back to .500.”

“I just told him how proud I was of him. A lot of times when things like that happen, you have a choice. You can feel sorry for yourself. He came in, had a smile on his face, and played the right way. We’ll need that every night from Bones Hyland. He has a chance to be a difference-maker.”

Malone’s right. The Nuggets need Bones Hyland. His presence on Denver’s second unit changes the dynamic of that group. His ability to break his man down off the dribble and both get to the rim and finish and set others up sets him apart from the rest of the Nuggets’ bench.

It’s why I think Malone is empowering Hyland this season when in the past he hasn’t exactly given other rookies that same leash, specifically on offense. Of course we’re talking about Michael Porter Jr. here. Porter eventually established himself as one of the NBA’s true rising stars and earned a max contract.

But the main difference between Porter’s come up and Hyland’s — and it doesn’t really have to do with Malone — is that injuries and a lack of backcourt depth naturally placed Bones into a more integral role within the Nuggets’ rotation. He earned his playing time too, but the two’s situations still weren’t the same. Porter was playing behind starting small forward Will Barton and trusted backup Torrey Craig his rookie season. Both stayed fairly healthy that year.

With Murray out for at least another two months, Hyland will need to produce. He’s going to stay in the spotlight and will continue to have an opportunity to play his brand of basketball. It’s what the Nuggets want from him after all. After Hyland missed a 3 in Denver’s home win over Miami back on Nov. 8, Malone called him over to the sideline. It wasn’t hard to read his lips: “If you’re open, shoot that mother fucker.”

More empowerment. That green light is staying lit.

Hyland’s averaging 9 points and 1.6 assists in 16.8 minutes so far this season. His shooting has run hot and cold as most rookies do, but Hyland’s flashes are special. Against the Heat last month, Hyland became the only rookie so far this season to make five 3s in 21 minutes or less.

Through his first 20 games, Hyland has shown off a deep bag. Momentum-turning shots. Deep 3s. Crafty, twisting, turning finishes at the rim. The ability to break down his man off the dribble and get into the defense while channeling his inner Hot Sauce.

Hyland used to stand in front of a mirror when he got home from school and practice the And1 Mixtape legend’s dribble moves until he perfected them.

That’s who Hyland is, and it’s who the Nuggets will continue to let him be.