Denver Nuggets guard Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland earned high praise throughout the preseason from head coach Michael Malone and the rookie saw some of that success pay off.
Hyland finished the preseason by averaging 15.2 points, 4.6 assists and four rebounds in five games with the Nuggets. His 76 total points led all rookies in scoring and were ninth-most among all players in the NBA during the preseason.
The 15.2 points per game by Hyland actually ranked fourth among all rookie players. However, he had the luxury of playing in more games than those that had a higher scoring average, which allowed him to have the most total points in the preseason.
The top five rookie scorers of the 2021-22 preseason:
- Bones Hyland, 76 points
- Trey Murphy III, 70 points
- James Bouknight, 63 points
- Chris Duarte, 55 points
- Jared Butler/Josh Giddey, 54 points
Malone this week hinted that Hyland would have a large role to start the season. He said Hyland has been outstanding during the preseason and really impressed the coaching staff with his ability to score and run the second unit on the court.
Hyland has helped inject energy and effort into the lineup, and Nuggets guard Will Barton even called his presence a breath of fresh air. When the Nuggets selected him with the 26th pick, many believed the team may have gotten a bit of a steal and he could show that early this season.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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