Knicks Reserve Reflects on Rapid Rise

This rising star guard has established a lasting role for himself on the New York Knicks after two patient seasons.

Oct 15, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) drives to the basket while being defended by Charlotte Hornets forward Keyontae Johnson (7) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks and Miles McBride might just make this marriage last.

McBride has turned himself into one of the longest-tenured Knicks after joining the team as a second-round pick in 2021. Many have come and gone since then but McBride has found a lasting Manhattan role for the time being, notably turning himself into one of the Knicks' top options off the bench.

It's been a steady rise for McBride, who reflected on his hardwood journey during an appearance on the "Roommates Show" web series hosted by Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. It wasn't so long ago that McBride was a de facto cleanup man, one of the last New Yorkers to enter the game. McBride, however, was grateful for the opportunity from the get-go.

"Coming out of college, I kind of had a feeling like, all right, I'm going to a good team, good players," McBride recalled. "We had just brought in Kemba (Walker) and Evan Fournier, so I had an understanding, all right, my first couple years in the league, I might really have to, you know, just grind, just grind."

"But that's how I felt, like my whole life kind of was, like, I was always underrated, and then was able to just kind of figure out a way just to keep getting better like every opportunity, and take advantage of every opportunity. So I feel like that was just my mindset, and still is."

Despite a lingering reputation as a defensive standout, McBride averaged less than 11 minutes a game over his first two seasons. Once the Knicks sent RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley to Toronto in a late December trade, however, McBride knew his number would be called and he has vindicated the metropolitan faith.

McBride discovered a newfound scoring touch in the new calendar year, averaging 10.7 points in 49 games from Jan. 1-onward. This time around, McBride has earned double-figures in scoring in three of his first four games, and his average of 13.5 is seventh-best among players who have yet to start a game this season.

Mar 18, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots over New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) during the first half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images / John Hefti-Imagn Images

"When I saw (the Barrett/Quickley trade), I felt there would kind of be no choice but for me to step up," McBride said. "I'm not thinking about, like, individually, I have to step up so I can, you know, do something, you know, great. But I was trying to win as a team ... You can't really think about those things. I was just focused, like, all right, how can I fit into the role that I'm going to be given?"

It's safe to say that McBride has fit into his assigned role and then some: thanks in part to his rise in the rotation, the Knicks won 50 games last season and secured the second seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.

Brunson recalled that a March showdown against Golden State convinced him that the Knicks had something special in McBride: in the midst of a 119-112 win, McBride scored a career-best 29 points while drawing Stephen Curry duty on defense, holding the legendary shooter to 8-of-20 from the field including 4-of-13 from three-point range.

"It's not surprising," Brunson said of McBride's rise. "You see how hard people work, and you see what they do on a daily basis, and once the opportunity comes, I mean, they're going to be ready for it. I think Deuce has always had the confidence. It's what's going happen, go out there to do what I can and change the game, whether it's on offense or defense."

McBride's next opportunity to impress lands on Friday night when the Knicks face the Detroit Pistons (7 p.m. ET, MSG).

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