All the raves about the New York Knicks this summer are about how well the starters will play under new head coach Mike Brown. However, they have reinforcements off the bench who can deliver strong results, and one in particular could be in for a breakout campaign.
Knicks’ Miles McBride has a strong performance against the Cavaliers
Miles McBride was fantastic off the bench for the Knicks in their season-opening victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. McBride scored 15 points and shot 4-for-6 from outside the arc in 26 minutes of action.
McBride brought the spark offensively, knocking down some timely threes to help stop Cavalier runs. Defensively, he gave the Knicks great intensity and brought tremendous pressure on that end of the floor, which helped spark big runs for New York.
“I’m always thinking defense first and offense second. Getting stops is what I do,” McBride said after the game (h/t SNY).
McBride has grown as a player each season of his career, and he is bound to continue that growth under a new head coach with a new system that fits him better. The fast-paced offense works in McBride’s favor, and the emphasis on shooting threes benefits him as it allows him to get more shot opportunities.
McBride could be in for a huge season
He could quickly become a leading candidate for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award if he continues to give this kind of production consistently. Brown showed that he can trust his bench by going to 11 different players in the season opener, and played McBride for the most amount of minutes of any other bench player.
New York attempted 40 three-pointers as a team on Wednesday. It was clear from the beginning that they were going to be taking shots from beyond the arc, and McBride made some big shots from long range to propel the Knicks to victory.
McBride will be crucial to the team’s success this year, as they aimed to improve the bench’s performance in the offseason. If he can continue to perform at a high level, the Knicks can feel really good about their chances of winning a title behind their depth this year.