Knicks Guard Knows More is Needed to Replace Jalen Brunson

The beleaguered New York Knicks bench is going to have to step it up for at least the next two weeks.

Mar 7, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) dribbles the ball against LA Clippers forward Nicolas Batum (33) in the second half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks honeymoon is officially over for Miles McBride.

Often known as "Deuce," McBride has generated a decent following in New York as a rare homegrown Knick that made the rise from 12th man to contributor. Just before he rose to the top of the Knicks' reserves, McBride was bestowed a three-year contract set to keep him in New York through 2027.

McBride has since settled into a decent enough role as metropolitan sixth man but the spotlight is fixed upon him for at least the next two weeks: Madison Square Garden Playbills would inform viewers that the role of starting point guard has been turned over to McBride while franchise face Jalen Brunson recovers from a painful ankle injury endured in the wee hours of Friday morning against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“It’s an opportunity, man,” Josh Hart said of the Knicks' prospects sans Brunson, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “When you have a guy that’s down, there’s room for other guys to step up and when [Brunson] gets back, the ones that stepped up, they’re in a great flow."

Though some of McBride's shooting numbers have dipped this season, he's a natural choice for Brunson's understudy. He has held a reputation as a decent two-way man and isn't afraid to let it fly. He went down in Knicks lore, for example, last season for playing 47 minutes in Cleveland after Brunson had to leave in the opening minute due to a different injury.

But McBride's first stretch of extended starting action, his second such showing of the year, didn't go well: he was 2-of-13 from the field in a 105-95 defeat, including 2-of-9 from three-point range. It was a game that saw McBride's hands touch the ball far more often than usual and one where his sense of healthy recklessness while shooting was on full display.

McBride was far from the Knicks' only shortcoming on Friday, as New York (40-23) put forth one of its most tepid offensive efforts of the season. But he fully admitted that he's going to have to do more if the Knicks are going to survive this potentially lengthy Brunson departure.

“We didn’t win, so any time we don’t win, I don’t think I played well enough," McBride said after the loss to the Clippers, per Bondy. "I think anybody can always shoot the ball better. I think defensively there were some plays I could have had, probably could have come up with some more rebounds."

“I’ve been a point guard my whole life. I’ll bounce back and we’ll figure it out.”

The next chance to do lands on Monday when the Knicks' road trip continues against the Sacramento Kings (10:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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