Who needs James Harden? Clippers' Bones Hyland ready to rise

Clippers guard Bones Hyland pulls up in the lane for a jump shot over Jazz guard Collin Sexton.

Staff Writer

Oct. 13, 2023 4:22 PM PT

A considerable portion of the buzz surrounding the Clippers since training camp opened this month has focused on the guard from the Philadelphia area with the nickname that starts with a B.

Not the Beard.

Bizzy Bones.

Whether disgruntled guard James Harden will be the ballhandler of the Clippers’ future remains to be seen as the bearded star continues his standoff with the 76ers — including telling reporters Friday that his rift with Philadelphia boss Daryl Morey cannot be repaired — all while trade discussions between the teams remain at a stalemate.

Yet as Harden’s fit remains purely theoretical, it is Bones Hyland, the Delaware-raised 23-year-old entering his first full season with the Clippers after last February’s trade from Denver, who has become one of the team’s most intriguing preseason figures as a young player with vast yet unknown potential on a roster filled with older, known quantities.

“Last year when I came, everything was being thrown at me at once,” Hyland said. “Plays, just meeting everybody, new staff, new building, new everything. So I had to get used to everything. But now I feel like I’m more comfortable, I’m more aware of everything. I’m more aware of the plays, how the defensive scheme is ran, how the offensive scheme is ran and just everything, I feel much more comfortable. I just feel like I’m just a hundred percent all the way to myself now.”

One star wing, Kawhi Leonard, has labeled Hyland the team’s backup point guard. Another, Paul George, has said Hyland “will tie in well with what we’re doing.” Another veteran, Nicolas Batum, has called Hyland “one of the best players in camp right now.”

This summer, Hyland even merited the approval of two of the best scoring guards in league history. After Hyland scored 56 points in an offseason event in Philadelphia attended by Allen Iverson, and later played in a summer game in New Jersey on the same team as Kyrie Irving, Hyland said that both shared with him a similar sentiment about his game.

“Oh man, I’m a killer. Just like that. I’m a killer,” Hyland said of the praise he received. “Just keep going, star potential and just keep being myself and whatever I’m doing and everything else will fall in line for me.”

Clippers guard Bones Hyland poses for photos during media day on Oct. 2.

For the Clippers’ championship ambitions to finally come to fruition, five seasons since Leonard‘s and George’s partnership began, will require role players surrounding the star duo to flourish. And few will be scrutinized more than whoever is handling the ball, considering the numerous guards the team has cycled through in recent seasons.

Last season the Clippers were “up and down at that point guard position,” Leonard said, adding that “having to bring the ball up, play the 5, it was a lot” of taxing work for him and George. Leonard was hopeful that would change with Russell Westbrook, the incumbent starting point guard, and Hyland returning.

“Steady point guard play from Russ and Bones, I think that’s going to be big for us,” Leonard said.

The Clippers made moves in the offseason, particularly waiving guard Eric Gordon in June, with the intent of providing more opportunity for their young wings, including Hyland, after veterans squeezed him out of the rotation at times last spring.

“The next step” for Hyland, coach Tyronn Lue said, is learning how to keep his scorer’s instincts while also running the offense and ensuring teammates are in the right places on every play. When they spoke during the offseason, Lue asked Hyland to develop his midrange jump shot. More than 34% of Hyland’s shots as a Clipper came between the rim and 10 feet from the basket; 54% came on three-pointers.

“He’s fast, he’s talented, he’s a great basketball player, but I think maybe last year he was rushing a little bit too much,” Batum said. “Now he seems even if he’s still fast, he feels like he’s more under control, makes better decisions. ... He worked on that. You can see, he watched film, he tried to get better decision-making and he’s doing a good job so far.”

“I love watching him,” Batum added. “He’s going to have a great season.”

The Clippers can’t afford for Hyland to be a defensive target. Lue was pleased, after Hyland started the first preseason game, that the guard “accepted the challenge” defensively.

“I just love Bones’ aggression,” George said after Hyland scored 18 points in the preseason opener. “I thought off the bounce, him getting to his shots, getting to his points on the floor, his playmaking, his creativity... And I know he’s not a defensive guy but he gives great effort on the defensive end and he’s long, he’s quick, he makes plays on both ends. We appreciate that from the guard spot.”

Clippers guard Bones Hyland dunks during a playoff game against the Phoenix Suns in April.

Iverson’s appreciation of Hyland was especially meaningful for the younger guard who grew up watching the former 76ers star. The two occasionally messaged on social media as Hyland rose to prominence first in Wilmington, then at Virginia Commonwealth, but had never met until the summer, after Hyland scored 56 at the Danny Rumph Classic in Philadelphia.

“To see him in the city that he played in, Philadelphia, and have a big night like that, it was huge for me,” Hyland said. “Just for him to be front row, it was big.”

What Iverson saw was “that type of game where everybody just fall in love with it,” Hyland said — meaning his speed, his scoring, his shiftiness with the ball.

The Clippers wouldn’t have traded for Hyland if they hadn’t become enamored with his potential too. It has emerged in spurts this preseason, and given them plenty to talk about.

Who needs James Harden? Bones Hyland ready to rise for Clippers

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