How Josh Hart, Miles McBride Saved New York Knicks' Season

In the wake of numerous injuries, Josh Hart and Miles McBride kept the New York Knicks' season on track.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 10, 2024

Jan 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (11) controls the ball / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

New York Knicks

New York Knicks reserves Miles McBride and Josh Hart have been key down the stretch as the team vies for a top playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Both McBride and Hart have been forms of ironmen for the Knicks, often playing extended minutes for Tom Thibodeau despite limited starting experience in New York. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recognized their efforts by naming them the Knicks' "Most Clutch" in a team-by-team countdown of regular season awards for the 2023-24 campaign.

Apr 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (22) drives against / Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports

"With several key teammates out due to injury, Hart and McBride met playing-time demands that seemed extreme even for Tom Thibodeau, perhaps the hardest-driving, old-school, "play him until he drops" coach in the league," Bleacher Report writes. "Hart averaged 41.6 minutes per game in March and played every second of a seven-point win over the Warriors on March 18. McBride saw 35.5 minutes per game last month, topping 43 minutes eight times. These two will be living in cold-plunge tubs all summer."

Hart, locked up for the next five seasons, has taken over Julius Randle's spot in the starting five on a permanent basis now that the three-time All-Star is out for the year. He's averaging a career-best in rebounding at 8.2 a game and has earned the first six triple-doubles of his career since entering the starting five in late January. McBride is back on the bench now that OG Anunoby is back but has established himself as a permanent fixture in the New York rotation ever since Immanuel Quickley was traded.

With the playoffs on the horizon, Thibodeau will likely count on McBride and Hart to keep playing major minutes. That depth will likely give them a unique edge as they look to build upon last year's playoff trip and end a conference finals drought dating back to 2000.

McBride, Hart, and the Knicks are back in action tomorrow night in a big game against the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

Published Apr 10, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.