New uniform fails to rattle Bones
Fred Jeter | 5/4/2023, 6 p.m.
Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland changed wardrobes this season with no malfunction to his shooting touch.
The former VCU standout was a serious threat wearing a Denver Nuggets uniform. Then nothing changed when he switched to a Los Angeles Clippers jersey.
In his second NBA season, Hyland, 22, averaged 12 points in 42 games for Denver and 11 points in 14 games for the Clippers following a February trade.
Hyland hit 37 percent of his three-pointers in Denver and 35 percent in L.A. with a smaller sample size under Coach Tyronn Lue.
In a league that has become more and more dependent on the 3-pointer, the slender 6-foot-2 Hyland is a classic three-ball artist.
Of the 1,142 shots Hyland has attempted, 673 have come from beyond the arc. His career 3-point percentage is a solid 37.
League wise, out of an average of 88 shots taken a game, 34 are behind the 23-foot, nine-inch arch. The Wilmington, Del. native is also a career 85-percent shooter at the foul line.
In Los Angeles, Hyland shares the spotlight at Crypto.com Arena with three of the biggest names in the game: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell West- brook.
Hyland left VCU after his sophomore year to enter the draft. He is the third former Ram to become a first round selection following Eric Maynor in 2009 (20th overall by Utah) and Larry Sanders in 2010 (15th overall by Milwaukee).
The Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2021, Hyland was selected 26th overall by Denver.
Hyland wasn’t the only ex-Ram to play in the NBA this season. Vince Williams, drafted 47th overall by Memphis in 2022, split time between the Memphis Grizzlies and Memphis Hustle G-League team.
In 15 outings for the NBA Grizz, Williams had 30 points as a rookie forward.