The New York Knicks got Miles "Deuce" McBride back on Monday after an ankle sprain held the guard out of seven straight games. He returned on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans, delivering 14 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal off of the bench in just 18 minutes. Potentially most importantly, though, he seems to still have his legs underneath him when it comes to his 3-point shot. McBride made two of five looks from downtown, continuing his 44.2% season as a 3-point shooter right where he left off.
McBride's hot shooting seemingly continues vs. Pelicans
Every time a player suffers an ankle injury, they know that their return to the court will come well before the end of their recovery. These injuries linger and can affect a player's burst for months after they make it back to action.
After McBride sprained his ankle against the Orlando Magic in early December, fans wondered how soon the guard would be able to return. It was another hit to the team's depth, with starter Josh Hart out. It was also, more specifically, a huge hit to their shooting. Sharpshooting veteran Landry Shamet is already on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, similarly to last season.
McBride made it back relatively quickly, though, returning in the midst of the team's current road trip. Brown likes to keep at least one of his units intact when players are out, so he gave rookie Mo Diawara the start in Hart's absence. This allowed him to ease McBride back into his typical role off of the bench.
The 25-year-old guard made four of his eight shots overall on Monday night, including going 2-of-5 from downtown. He also earned four free throws, on which he was a perfect 4-for-4. This was a welcome development for Knick fans, who were trepidatious about whether or not his red-hot shooting would continue.
Before his return, McBride was 55-of-124 on 3-point attempts, good for a 44.4% conversion rate. The 40% night in New Orleans brought his season mark to 44.2%, a hardly-noticeable difference and still an excellent figure.
McBride's specialty has been his defense since he was drafted. It's what got him onto the court under former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who mostly saw defense as a "must" and not a nice bonus. It was McBride's 3-point shooting, though, that allowed his role on the court to grow. As he continued to come through in big moments, his star teammates trusted him with the ball more and more.
The 44.2% rate from deep would unsurprisingly be a career-best for McBride. Knick fans will gladly keep cheering his name as he continues to let them fly.