PG Miles McBride, West Virginia
Versatility is key in today’s NBA. With teams going smaller and smaller, having players that can fill multiple roles on the court is imperative as coaches mix and match lineups. Whoever selects West Virginia point guard Miles McBride will be getting a steal.
McBride has a similar style of play to Marcus Smart. He is a little undersized to be playing shooting guard, standing 6’2.5”, but he makes up for it with a wingspan of 6’8.75”. Given the style of play at West Virginia, you know you are getting a tenacious defender that is willing to play defense for 94-feet in McBride.
He averaged 1.9 steals per game as a sophomore, as he will play the passing lanes and be a pest defensively from Day 1. McBride will likely be a spark plug off the bench early in his career, but that is a role that will expand.
Offensively, he has shown that he can score and facilitate. He averaged 15.9 points per game, shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from the 3-point line to go with 4.8 assists per game. While he may never be the most efficient 2-point shooter, showing consistency in knocking down shots from the perimeter will be key in determining what level he can bring his game to.
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McBride can earn playing time right away with his defensive ability and versatility, but it will be his offensive development that helps him far exceed the expectations of a late first-round draft pick.
