The NBA announced Thursday that Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland has been selected as an injury replacement for this year’s Rising Stars game, taking injured Sacramento Kings rookie Davion Mitchell’s place.
Denver Nuggets rookie Bones Hyland has been selected as an injury replacement for the NBA Rising Stars game at All-Star Weekend.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 17, 2022
Mitchell has ruled out the game due to right-hand soreness, which caused him to miss last night’s matchup against the Chicago Bulls in a 125-118 loss.
Hyland becomes the second-consecutive Nuggets player to be named to the Rising Stars after Michael Porter Jr. and Facundo Campazzo’s appearance last year in Atlanta. Appearing in 46 games in three starts, the 21-year-old from VCU is averaging 8.8 points, 2.7 boards, and 2.0 assists on 18 minutes per game. Over his last 10, he’s upped his averages to 10.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.
The 26th overall pick in 2021 ranks third amongst rookies in free-throw percentage (88.5), third in total threes (79), and 13th in points per game. Against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 15, Bones dropped a career-high 27 points, 10 rebounds, and two dimes while shooting 6-for-10 from distance, becoming just the third Nuggets player ever to post 27+ points and 6+ threes off of the bench, joining Wilson Chandler and Will Barton.
Hyland joins head coach Gary Payton’s team alongside LaMelo Ball, Scottie Barnes, Ayo Dosunmu, Chris Duarte, Scoot Henderson, and Jaden McDaniels in this year’s new format, featuring four teams of seven players.
The 2022 Clorox Rising Stars team rosters ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/d8d4jjpQ9s
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) February 4, 2022
The 2022 Rising Stars game will kick off All-Star weekend on Friday night.
