It is easy to forget about the New York Knicks’ bench given their loaded starting five, but one guy in the second unit is quietly presenting a strong case to be in the running for the league’s Sixth Man of The Year Award.
Miles McBride is having a tremendous season for the Knicks
Miles McBride continues to grow his game with an expanded opportunity. This is his first full season as the team’s sixth man, and he has delivered positive results so far this season. In 17 games this season, he is averaging 11.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 0.9 steals, and is shooting 46.2% from the field and 43.5% from three, all of which are career-highs.
Entering the season, there were a lot of questions about the Knicks’ bench following the trade that saw Donte DiVincenzo head to Minnesota in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster. McBride has stepped up to the task and is becoming a high-impact player on a team that has started to find its groove.
His case for the Sixth Man of The Year Award seems to grow by the game. In Thursday’s win over the Hornets, McBride scored 10 points and dished six assists while also knocking down two three-pointers. He has shown tremendous versatility on both ends of the floor which has made him one of the team’s most important players.
McBride is one of the top bench players in the league
McBride will have a steep hill to climb to win the award, but it is not an impossible feat. His points per game average this season ranks 12th among bench players, and he has the sixth-highest three-point percentage among reserves. He also has the fifth-highest plus-minus among that group at +98.
Of course, it will be tough to eclipse the brilliant start that Boston Celtics’ Payton Pritchard is having, and he is the presumed favorite at this very moment to win the award. However, team success matters with this kind of award, and if McBride continues to contribute to winning basketball for the Knicks, he could have a case to be a finalist for the award.