New York Knicks 2023-24 Player Preview: Is There a Place For Miles McBride?

Miles McBride's best chance to break through in the New York Knicks' crowded backcourt picture comes through his defense.

Autumn in New York ... from a basketball perspective, it's finally inviting.

The New York Knicks return to action on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) in a game that will officially open one of the more anticipated seasons in recent metropolitan memory. New York is coming off its most successful NBA season in a decade, winning 47 games and a playoff series for the first time since 2013.

With tip-off looming, All Knicks will analyze and preview what's to come for the major contributors on the blue-and-orange roster. Part VIII returns to the backcourt, sending the spotlight Miles McBride's way ...

Player Profile

Name: Miles McBride
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-2, 200 lbs.
College: West Virginia
Experience: 3rd season

McBride (2) has made a name for himself with strong defensive play / USA TODAY SPORTS

The Story So Far

Almost every second-round pick enters with a story and faces a series of challenges that force them to prove their NBA longevity and worthiness. McBride has faced both: he was a standout performer at West Virginia originally drafted by Oklahoma City before a draft night trade sent him to Manhattan. 

Forging minutes for himself has been a challenge: in year one, McBride got caught up in a veteran logjam that forced younger players into spectator status. Once some of the dead, older weight got cut loose (i.e. Alec Burks, Kemba Walker), McBride saw an ever-so-slight uptick in minutes, even sticking around in head coach Tom Thibodeau's nine-man rotation for a period. He made a name for himself by serving as a defensive spark in the backcourt.

There's no denying the extra pep in the Knicks' step when McBride is playing major minutes: in the 16 occasions when he was on the floor for at least 15 last year, the Knicks posted a 12-4 record. 

They Said It

“But I feel like no matter what, if shots aren’t falling, I still want to be a spark defensively, and come in and get out in transition, get easy baskets that way, and give the team a lift.”-McBride (Peter Botte, New York Post)

"It's not just hitting the shots but the defense, the hustle plays. When you make hustle plays ... that does nothing but unite and inspire the team. You see a guy hustle and all of a sudden, he’s got a steal; we’ve got an easy bucket. That’s how you win.”-head coach Tom Thibodeau on McBride's impact (Peter Botte, New York Post)

2023-24 Forecast

It's clear that the Knicks have at least something in McBride, having exercised his option for the 2023-24 season. But it also stands to reason that his quest to make headway on the depth chart with the only major move of the Knicks' offseason being a swap of Obi Toppin for Done DiVincenzo.

It's great that the Knicks have McBride's services in tow, as he's proven himself worthy of NBA tenure as a defensive diamond in the rough. To his further credit, McBride used an extended opportunity during the preseason (partly brought about by minor injury absences for Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley) to work on his shooting game: he shot 7-of-20 from three-point range during the exhibition quartet, the success primarily built by a perfect 4-of-4 outing in the fourth quarter of a loss to Minnesota.

But unless Thibodeau is willing to expand his list of usual gameday suspects, it feels increasingly likely that McBride's ultimate hardwood impact is destined to be made elsewhere.

Previous Previews

• RJ Barrett
• Jalen Brunson
• Donte DiVincenzo
• Evan Fournier
• Quentin Grimes
• Josh Hart
• Isaiah Hartenstein