For teams to succeed in the NBA, they need to have a bench that can produce and take pressure off of the starting lineup. That was one of the worries people had when the New York Knicks completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors right before New Year’s Day.
New York acquired OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons. While not much of an argument was made that Anunoby was an upgrade over Barrett as the starting small forward, questions arose about the Knicks’ bench.
Quickley was who ran the offense whenever Jalen Brunson wasn’t on the court. He was coming into his own this season, showing that he was ready to lead his own team. Not only did this deal leave the Knicks a ball-handler short, but Barrett was the starter head coach Tom Thibodeau normally left in the game with his second unit.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Miles McBride, Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks Updates
Losing both players put a lot of pressure on other players to step up. One of the players who had a chance to produce and has responded positively is Miles McBride. A second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of West Virginia, McBride is receiving his biggest opportunity to date as a professional.
Known for his defensive impact, he has been given a chance to now run the offense as the backup point guard. It is a role that Thibodeau looks comfortable allowing him to grow into, as Flynn, a capable guard himself, has not been inserted into the rotation.
The backup point guard minutes are all going to McBride and you can see his confidence growing each and every night. Thibodeau is getting more comfortable with him on the court as well, even drawing up plays for him that he has used for Brunson and Quickley.
3-point shooting is one of the things that will keep Thibodeau calling McBride’s number as the first guard off the bench. During his stints in the NBA Summer League and G League, McBride has shown that he can fill it up.
That had not yet translated to the NBA, but now as a regular part of the rotation with a growing role, we are seeing a more offensive-minded player. That clip is a great example of how high McBride’s confidence is, as he works tirelessly on improving.
On the season, he is now shooting 48.6 percent from 3-point range. Since the trade with the Raptors went down, McBride is shooting a scorching 10-of-18 from long-range, including an impressive 4-for-7 performance last time out against the Portland Trail Blazers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Miles McBride, Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks Updates
As DJAceNBA pointed out on X, the high shooting percentage is only the beginning of what makes this stretch impressive for McBride. How he is getting the shots, as two of them were on movement jumpers, is what sticks out.
In Year 3 of his NBA career, this is the first time that McBride will be trusted with running an offense. This is his time to show that the backup point guard job is his to lose and thus far, he is doing all he can to ensure that he won’t be surrendering it.
Just how confident are the Knicks that McBride is the man for the job? Shortly after the trade was made, they signed him to a three-year, $13 million extension. If he continues developing and producing as he has in the first five games in his new role, his contract will be one of the best value deals in the NBA.
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