Analyzing Miles McBride’s game with the Westchester Knicks

After being selected with the No. 36 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Miles McBride has played in 19 games with the Knicks in his rookie season. While New York saw many of their players in health-and-safety protocols, players who weren’t in the rotation saw more playing time and took advantage of that.

McBride saw a stretch of five games where he played at least 15 minutes, while he played 20-plus minutes in four of those games. The Knicks rookie put up a season high 15 points, nine assists and four steals against the Houston Rockets. When the Knicks had most of their players available, McBride saw little playing and played five or less minutes in the other 14 games.

It was expected that Miles McBride would see some action with the Westchester Knicks in his rookie season. Since Westchester became the New York Knicks affiliate in 2014, five of the seven second round picks have played with the Dub Knicks. Those players are Cleanthony Early, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Damyean Dotson, Ignas Brazdeikis and Jericho Sims.

McBride has seen more action with Westchester at this point, which is has been beneficial for his growth and development as a rookie. He has been a difference maker with the Dub Knicks and has played a huge role in winning games. Westchester is 5-1 in games he plays in and 6’2” guard makes a difference on both sides of the ball.

The Knicks rookie finishes at the basket at an average percentage and isn’t afraid to take contact to score points. He has shot the ball well from the perimeter and has shown great confidence with his outside shot. McBride has shown to walk into threes and shoot well on catch-and-shoot opportunities. He shot 41.4 percent as a sophomore last season with West Virginia and saw that number increase to 44.2 percent with Westchester.

McBride has shown to be one of the best passers in the G League this season. He consistently looks to find his teammates in the right spots and get them the ball in the right spot. When he plays with Jericho Sims, the two have shown solid chemistry in pick-and-roll action. When McBride dished out 16 against against the Maine Celtics, he was getting it to Jordan Allen who had one of the best shooting games of the season. The Knicks’ point guard has showed the ability to kick out and find the open shooters. Despite playing in five games, his 9.5 assists per game are No. 1 in the G League.

The Knicks rookie has shown to make an impact on the defensive end by using his quick hands to force turnovers and create more opportunities on offense. He has shown to be a good on-ball defender and hustles for loose balls. He is tied for No. 5 in steals (2.2 SPG) in the G League.

The Knicks could be looking at his future role as a solid play making guard who can shoot the ball well and be a solid defender. When you look at past players who have played in Westchster, like Damyean Dotson, they took advantage of their time in the G League and wanted to use it to get better then carve out a role with the New York Knicks. While Miles McBride is likely to see more time with Westchester this season, he should continue to take advantage of his time in the G League, so he will be ready to make an impact when the New York Knicks call his number.

From my Twitter thread:

Check the entire thread for video clips of McBride in action.