Miles McBride is slated to play a big role for the Knicks this season. Whether or not that is being part of the starting unit or coming off of the bench remains to be seen. Either way, the two-way guard will be a big part of the Knicks' season. One under-discussed element of the part he will play is stepping into a bigger role as a backup ball-handler behind Jalen Brunson.
Cameron Payne and Delon Wright both seem like they will not be returning to the Knicks. Their departure leaves a void in the Knicks roster in terms of guards who are comfortable running the offense as a true point guard.
After Brunson, the Knicks' guard rotation primarily consists of McBride and newly acquired Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson is a ball-dominant guard, but he is known as a shot-taker more than a playmaker. His value stems from his ability to put the ball in the basket.
McBride, on the other hand, is better suited as an off-ball player. He is an elite point-of-attack defender and is a good 3-point shooter who can space the floor and knock down catch-and-shoot looks.
That said, he may have to take on more of the ball-handling load this season in minutes where Brunson is on the bench.
This season could bring a new role for McBride
The Knicks still may acquire another guard. Malcolm Brogdon, Monté Morris, or even bringing Wright back into the fold are all possibilities, according to The Athletic's James L. Edwards III. Still, even if the Knicks do add another true point guard, there are not many minutes to go around.
It is unlikely that the Knicks will have a rotation of 10 players, and nine players currently on the roster are locks for the bulk of the minutes. That means that McBride may become the backup point guard by default.
McBride only had the sixth-highest usage rate per 100 chances out of Knicks players who played at least 500 minutes last season, according to league tracking data. Furthermore, he held the ball for less time and took less dribbles on average than any guard other than Landry Shamet last season.
When you also take the fact that Mike Brown wants Brunson to spend more time playing off-ball into account, it becomes clear that McBride may be poised to step into a larger on-ball role. How he responds could very well dictate how the Knicks' season goes.