3 Reasons Tom Thibodeau can’t ignore Miles McBride in 2023-24

The New York Knicks have unearthed some gems in the NBA Draft in recent years, finding contributors outside of the lottery.

Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley have become key members of New York’s young core after being selected 25th overall in back-to-back years. Jericho Sims has also developed into a solid reserve center, a positive outcome for a player who was the third-to-last pick in his draft class.

Another Knick that has outplayed their draft position is point guard Miles “Deuce” McBride, who was selected early in the second round back in 2021. McBride has established himself as a defensive pest, routinely making an impact in his small amounts of time on the court.

There’s a case to be made for him getting consistent rotation minutes this upcoming season. Here are three reasons why.

3 Reasons Knicks should include Miles McBride more in their rotation

3: Misleading counting stats

McBride’s meager averages of 3.5 points and 1.1 assists per game on 36-30-67 shooting splits don’t represent his on-court impact in the slightest.

Tom Thibodeau has mainly used the 23-year-old in a situational role, meaning he rarely has extended time on the floor to get into a shooting rhythm. Of the 64 times McBride stepped onto the court in 2022-23, he received less than 10 minutes in 28 of those contests.

In other words, he’s typically on the court for less than a quarter’s worth of playing time and often went several games between appearances.

When he’s given a consistent role, his efficiency has trended upward. In games where Deuce was on the court for at least 20 minutes, he averaged 9.7 points while hitting 38% of his triples.

Due to the lack of playing time he received earlier in his career, he’s spent a bit of time with the Westchester Knicks. He torched defenses in the G League, routinely proving that he’s in a tier above the talent level there.

McBride averaged 27.9 points to go along with 10.6 assists per game in Westchester, shooting both 49% from the field and 49% from deep while attempting 8.4 threes each night.

While he obviously wouldn’t become one of the league’s top scorers if he were to get a consistent 20+ minutes next year, there’s still more than enough evidence to show that his offensive output and efficiency would increase with a steadier role.

2: Positional flexibility

Speaking of McBride not being a high-volume scorer, one of his best qualities is his low-usage offensive role despite his point guard designation.

He’s not as skilled of a ball-handler or one-on-one scorer as New York’s other point guards, but he’s aware of his strengths and weaknesses when playing alongside Jalen Brunson and Immanuel Quickley.

His ability to play much larger than his six-foot-two, 200-pound frame allows him to switch between both backcourt positions based on whichever lineup Thibodeau is running.

The Knicks’ nine-man rotation is seemingly locked in for this upcoming year, but incorporating McBride into the mix wouldn’t hurt a bit. In fact, New York’s bench unit is almost perfect for Deuce to play in.

Quickley will be leading the show for the reserves at the point, which means that McBride would slide in at the two. New free agent signing Donte DiVincenzo is one of the best rebounding guards in the league, not to mention that Josh Hart is arguably the best rebounding guard in the association.

Their prowess on the glass, as well as their combined defensive acumen, should allow them to move up a position and occupy both forward spots despite being traditionally undersized.

Backup center Isaiah Hartenstein would still be able to operate as a shot-blocker and screen-setter in this theoretical small-ball lineup, utilizing his underrated passing abilities.

The Knicks’ bench has been a strength for years now, and it could become even deadlier with the full-time addition of McBride.

1: Elite defense

It’s not an exaggeration to claim McBride is the best perimeter defender on New York’s roster. It’s been his calling card since his college days at West Virginia, utilizing his six-foot-nine wingspan to disrupt passing lanes and quick feet to stay in front of his man.

His 1.8 steals and 2.7 deflections per 36 minutes were the highest mark on the Knicks last year, according to NBA.com (a minimum of 25 games played).

He possesses the lateral quickness to stick with speedy guards and keep them off balance, but he also has a strong base so that larger forwards aren’t able to post him up for an easy short-range bucket.

McBride’s instant energy on the less glamorous side of the ball has been the main reason Thibodeau has constantly given him opportunities in crucial late-game defensive possessions despite not being a member of the team’s usual rotation.

He’s able to toe the line between being aggressive and reckless expertly, getting called for whistles nearly half as often as he did in his rookie year. This should also be another sign that he warrants an extended run on the floor each night in 2023-24, as the risk of him getting into foul trouble has greatly diminished.

McBride quietly had an improved second season despite not being able to crack most of New York’s lineups, displaying his offensive potential while simultaneously fine-tuning his defensive expertise.

If his career continues to trend upward, switching to a 10-man rotation to incorporate Deuce would help the Knicks go on an even longer postseason run next year.

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