New York Knicks rookie Miles McBride is ready to make a splash in the NBA but his path to playing time is indeterminate.
The preseason question marks surrounding whether or not McBride will see a lot of time on the court are for the most part, out of his control. The Knicks have a deep roster of proven players that will be soaking up most of the playing time.
New York Knicks: Miles McBride’s rookie season path
Miles McBride may have his work cut out for him but it would foolish to underestimate this kid. McBride was selected 36th overall despite many analysts having a 1st round grade on him.
The most obvious way for McBride to immediately get playing time is, of course, an injury to the Knicks backcourt, but I’m not going to simply predict injuries.
Still, it’s important to at least note that there will likely be a sizeable handful of games where Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker will rest, which will open up chunks of playing time throughout the season.
Can Miles McBride earn the early trust of head coach Tom Thibodeau? How can he find ways to stay on the court this season?
New York Knicks: #1 — Miles McBride’s defense
This is going to be Miles McBride’s calling card early in his career. The combination of McBride’s talent on defense and the Knicks not having any real perimeter “defensive stoppers” on their roster could open up an avenue for a defensive specialist role.
Miles McBride is clamps. He has a blend of light footwork and quickness, lower body strength, and a disruptive 6’9 wingspan that wreaks havoc on opposing point guards.
We saw numerous times during the NBA summer league where McBride was picking up the opposing team’s point guard full court, not giving him an inch.
He will put ballhandlers in jail. Think 2010 Darelle Revis man coverage.
Competitive defense is the quickest way to Tom Thibodeau’s heart. It’s not just about Miles McBride’s individual talent.
New York has some players that are competitive perimeter defenders. Immanuel Quickley can make an impact, RJ Barrett has flashed against larger players, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose are both not “known” for their defense but are willing defenders with experience.
They don’t have someone who has defense built into their player profile strengths. Miles McBride is known for his defense.
Tom Thibodeau’s overloading defense will scheme to slow down star point guards but we’ve seen the lack of defensive maestros in the backcourt hamper the Knicks defense. They don’t have anyone they can simply stick on point guards, and Miles McBride could be that player.
New York Knicks: #2 — Miles McBride’s shooting
You can always use more shooting in the lineup.
Miles McBride’s last season at West Virginia showed just how lethal of a scorer he is. McBride posted 15.9 points per game with phenomenal shooting splits: 41.4% from 3 and 81.3% from the free throw line.
Even more telling of McBride’s ability to shoot the ball — he was only assisted on 58.7 of his 3-point makes. He’s a guard who can break down his defender and find ways to create space for himself to score.
The New York Knicks’ 2nd unit is an exciting group to watch. Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, and Alec Burks are 3 dynamite scoring options who all run together coming off of the bench. Then there’s Obi Toppin flying up and down the court alongside them.
Maybe McBride’s offense will fit in so well with the 2nd unit that coach Thibodeau will have to find ways to get him into the lineup? We saw a glimpse of McBride’s on-court chemistry with Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin and it could be something special.
As long as Derrick Rose is on the court, he’ll be firmly in front of McBride in the pecking order. Still, Maybe Thibodeau dials back the minutes a bit for Rose and Burks and sprinkles McBride in as a dynamo shooter.
This one may be a little far-fetched, but New York has the personnel to run out some unique lineups.
It’s hard to imagine Tom Thibodeau straying too far from his usual basketball philosophies. There have been hypotheticals written about Obi Toppin or Julius Randle getting minutes at the center position but I don’t believe that’s something Thibodeau would do.
He has a specific, defined role for his centers to be rim-running bruisers. The Knicks played Norvelle Pelle before they considered experimenting with Toppin and Randle.
When it comes to the perimeter players, perhaps there could be room for some experimentation.
This comes back to Miles McBride’s defense being too good to ignore. Is there any way Thibodeau would try out 3-guard lineups with Derrick Rose/Alec Burks, Immanuel Quickley, and McBride?
It’s unlikely but here is how it could look.
McBride is on the court because the opposing team’s guard is tearing it up. McBride is tasked with defending him, while Quickley sticks on the secondary guard, and you hide Derrick Rose on the team’s wing player.
This also depends on the opposing team’s personnel but it’s not unheard of. Think of the Atlanta Hawks throwing Trae Young and Reggie Bullock during the first round of last season’s playoffs.
All the defender has to do is track the spot-up shooter along the perimeter. If it’s a player (like Bullock) who isn’t going to take more than 2 dribbles, it’s not the most devastating mismatch in the world to have a small guard defending them.
McBride’s skillset may be too strong to ignore. It’s going to be an uphill battle for playing time but if anyone can step up and prove themselves, it’s Deuce McBride.