3 Knicks players who should get more minutes to close out 2021-22
1: Miles McBride
Miles McBride nailed a 3-pointer against Atlanta and I’m surprised that MSG didn’t burn to the ground right then and there.
The 2021 second-round pick has excelled during his time with the Westchester Knicks, but he’s averaging 8.6 minutes in the 32 games that he’s played in.
McBride’s averaging 1.8 points, 1.1 assists, and is shooting 28% from the field and 21.4% from the 3-point line.
New York’s been plagued with point guard troubles for 20 years and while the front office could draft a PG in the upcoming draft (Jaden Ivey, anyone?), there’s absolutely no reason why McBride hasn’t been playing more frequently.
It’s past time for Miles McBride to be in the New York Knicks’ rotation.
Since Derrick Rose has been out since December with an ankle injury and Kemba Walker’s not with the team, Thibodeau chose Alec Burks to assume the starting point guard role. It isn’t a position that Burks has done well in, but that’s because he’s not used to leading an offense.
Thibodeau’s stubbornness has resulted in him playing Burks for 30+ minutes a night while keeping McBride on the bench. In case it isn’t obvious, the Knicks haven’t seen much success this season, but by looking at the rookie’s stats, you’d think that he was on a team with an elite point guard/s.
Although it’s too late to salvage the year, Thibodeau desperately needs to play McBride more between now and Apr. 10. His talent hasn’t gotten to be fairly evaluated because he spends the majority of his time watching from the sideline.
Hopefully, we’ll get to enjoy watching these three players over the next 18 days. After all, what’s it going to hurt?