Misery continues for the LA Clippers! Right from the off-season, the Los Angeles side has had a series of setbacks, keeping them unsettled. After losing Paul George and Russell Westbrook, the team entirely relied on Kawhi Leonard and James Harden. Amid this turbulent situation, the team has injuries piling up in the background. With already two players out of action for tonight’s preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets, Nah’Shon Lee “Bones” Hyland also joins the list.

Only 20 minutes before the tip-off, Tomer Azarly confirmed that the team ruled “OUT” Bones Hyland owing to a left hip soreness. Notably, the 24-year-old guard was under inspection before the latest update as the team kept him in the Questionable category.

So, the LA side stepped on the court without Kawhi Leonard, Trentyn Flowers, and Bones Hyland in their second preseason game. Notably, The Klaw missed the first game against the Warriors, recovering from his knee injury. It seems as if the 2x NBA Champ still hasn’t completely recovered from the issue that brought the shutter down on the Clippers’ playoffs run last season.

Anyway, heading back to Bones Hyland, the 24-year-old guard has received a golden opportunity to find a spot in the Clippers rotation. In the previous season, he barely played half the season, averaging 6.9 points in 37 games and he received a surprise call-up in the rotation after Russell Westbrook fractured his arm. However, he couldn’t make much impact to seal his spot.

In this season, with Russ traded out, Hyland has another shot. The team hasn’t revealed any timeline for his recovery. At the same time, soreness generally takes a week or two to recover, so Hyland might return by the end of the preseason. Even though he has less time, he can impress Ty Lue with one big game like he did the last time.

Can Bones Hyland recreate the magic from last year?

Bones Hyland came into the league as a 26th pick in 2021, representing the Denver Nuggets. In the very next year, the Los Angeles Clippers placed their hopes in him ahead of the trade deadline. As usual, he struggled to get into the team’s rotation. However, in the 2023 preseason, he had an opportunity to impress everyone. Poetically, it came against his former team, the Nuggets. In that game, Hyland managed to generate 25 points before the 4th quarter and looked like he’d single-handedly dominate the Mile High City. 

Unfortunately, in the third quarter, the promising talent injured his ankle and was taken off the court. Above all, he had impressed his star teammate Kawhi Leonard back then. Speaking of Bones Hyland, The Klaw said, “He’s going to be big for us… He has the talent to do great things and hopefully, he can showcase it a little bit more this season.” Unfortunately, the expectation didn’t meet the reality, as Ty Lue kept him out of the rotation. So, Hyland will need yet another big game, hopefully in this preseason, to cement his spot.

Do you think the hooper will make it to the LA Clippers rotation? Let us know in the comments.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.