Injuries have left the Knicks thin at point guard, but they’ve been reluctant to turn to second-round pick Miles McBride, who has been putting up big numbers in the G League, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. McBride is averaging 29.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists per game for the team’s Westchester affiliate. He seems like a natural alternative with Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose both sidelined, but has only played 22 NBA games so far, logging 7.0 minutes per night.
“It’s definitely been challenging,” McBride said. “Obviously growing up, never had to deal with sitting a lot. But it’s the NBA. It should be challenging. The task they’re giving me, being able to play in the G League and being able to come back to the team, it’s been fun. So just trying to enjoy every day and taking the challenge head on.”
McBride appeared to have a breakthrough game December 16 in Houston when he started the second half after Rose was injured and wound up with 15 points, nine assists and four steals. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 the next day and has barely played since. He said the coaching staff is urging him to be patient.
“The feedback is, ‘you’re young, you’re a rookie, the opportunities you get, take them,’” McBride said. “And some things happen along with it.”
There’s more from New York:
- Despite their troubles this season, the Knicks may have hope for the future because they’ve prioritized roster flexibility and stockpiled draft picks, notes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Five of the six contracts they handed out last summer included a team option, and although they sent a protected Hornets’ pick to the Hawks in exchange for Cam Reddish, they still have a generous supply of draft choices remaining. Even so, rival executives are skeptical that the Knicks can turn things around quickly because they don’t have a star player already on the roster. “If they are going to give up their picks and swaps to get someone, it doesn’t matter who they are trading,” a Western Conference executive said. “But if their hope was to turn these guys into good players by themselves, I’d be hard-pressed to see a team thinking they’ll take that for a star.”
- Among the Knicks’ concerns for the future is that their two best players, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, haven’t played well together, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. In the 1,418 minutes they’ve shared the court this season, New York has a minus-6.8 net rating, and that number has fallen to minus-9.9 over the past 11 games, Bondy states.
- It could be more than a week before the Knicks have an update on Rose, who had a surgical procedure last week for a skin infection on his right ankle, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
The Knicks have to forget about trying to trade or sign stars. Not going to happen. Their only hope to improve is to develop their your players and to draft well. McBride needs to be playing at least half the game at point guard. Obi, Grimes and Reddish all also need minutes in the mid 20’s at least. Even if they wanted to trade the kids, they have to establish value or they will get nothing for them. There is no point with any other plan, they will go no where.
Knicks would demand this trade
Knicks get Westbrook, Lakers 2027 and 2029 Firsts
Lakers get Rose, Burks and Fournier
Knicks are delusional
Westbrook would be perfect for the Knicks. It’ll be like when they had Marbury and when they had Carmelo.
The only move is to play their young players extensively and hope they improve, either to increase their value via trade, or to emerge as future players for them. The tank without tanking approach. Easy call. Hope they make it. Thibs definitely isn’t the guy for this rebuild, though, so they’ll have to make that decision soon.
Big old super trade (in the offseason)
Lakers: Randle, Fouriner, Kemba, Noel and White.
Knicks: Russ, Vuce and a first (Lakers)
Bulls: AD
Lakers get the full rebuild they need.
Kemba Fouriner Bron Randle Noel and a bench of White THT Johnson Melo and Howard.
Expect another trade like Fouriner for Heild, and the addition of some free agents.
Knicks I know it sounds bad with Russ but he’s still putting up 18-8-7 and you guys need a starting point guard. I think he would actually do really well under Thibs and at worst it would be taking back a huge expiring deal and a first round pick for clearing Fouriner and Randles deals. Vuce fills in at centre with Mitchell Robinson needing a new deal. He’s a centre that can open the lane for a guy like Russ.
Bulls, I think you guys come up short and lose in the first round of the playoffs to the Nets or Raptors sorry. You guys have just dealt with too many injuries, DeRozan I think will start to tire and theres not enough on the bench. So you give up White and Vuce both on expiring deals and get back Anthony Davis, the home town kid. If he can get back to full strength and stay fit it makes a huge difference. Lonzo LaVine DeRozan Williams AD off the bench Ayo Caruso Green Patrick Baldwin Jr (from the draft) and Tristan Thompson. Something like that I think you learn from your failures and have a strong second season.
Side note:
Knicks fans before you rip me for Russ. Also remember his deal is an expiring one and that same offseason Zion Williamson’s rookie deal will expire. Zion won’t play this season and I could see him holding out or demanding a trade next season. Imagine getting Zion and having to give up nothing for him. Ofcourse he would want to come, you have Reddish and Barrett. With Vuce at centre you’ve got a rebounding and three point shooting centre and at point you’ve got DRose.
It could be the ultimate plan for win now and plan ahead
Gotta admit Russ seems perfect for Thibs high usage, really intense, 100% effort style.
Russ being a high profile player could also be good for FA and attaching talent.
Vuce would also be a good centre for Russ and the rest of the team.
imo, and I definitely don’t speak for all Knicks fans, but I would be 100% fine with acquiring Westbrook provided Randle gets dealt, which he’d have to be in order to match salaries.
But I wouldn’t play Westbrook. I would give him the John Wall treatment and just let him collect his salary from the bench. He could even just stay in LA if he wanted and take a year off.
Randle, Walker, and Burks for Westbrook and a 1st. I would do that.
I want no part of Zion …… Knicks will have cap space his yr of FA. So of course we will get bombarded with Zion to Knicks scenarios.
Personally I know all about Thibs and his history. So saying that. Thibs knew this was a rebuild when he came here. The reason Dolan brought in Rose was for the rebuild. Fact is Dolan has never seen one thru. So It seems a reality that he will try what he’s never tried before. Simply cause he’s run out of options. Since his way was has failed since the Ewing Days.
To me Thibs is a disciplinarian and old school coach. That young guys need for direction. It’s why I wanted him. His failure at Minny. Was being GM and coach. That is not happening here. And he’s had plenty of time to reflect. Yes some old dogs are set in their ways. Unfortunately your avg basketball guy. Can see this team is not working. So it’s screaming “just go thru with the REBUILD”.
McBride should be starting with Obi. Cause with Randle he gives way to him too many times. Randles failure this yr. Is he thinks he will save us. His best success has come from a team output and resolve. This yr he’s all about ego. It’s not working for team.
McBride is what we need. That 10-12 ast PG. PG who runs offense and manages the game. He’s doing that in G-league. So let him play with Obi. And let’s see what they can do. What’s the point of going after the play in game. Just to lose or lose in 1st rd. When we can see what these young guys got. Plus showcase them for a possible trade. In the process we will secure a good lottery pick. Or maybe even trade up into top 5. And really get a nice player. Even a top 10 pick will net a starter. So I just pray they see the light. And play for next yr. The time is right to do this.
Not sure what the Knicks are waiting for with McBride. It’s only eight games but he’s over 30 ppg (basketball-reference disagrees slightly with the numbers from Berman) and 10.3 apg and is shooting a crazy 55.1% from 3 on almost 9 attempts per game. What more can he do? No Kemba, no Rose, what are we waiting for? Just bring him up and start him.
This is not a homer comment, but I think the Knicks do have a star (to be) on this team. Anyone watching RJ since the calendar clicked to 2022 that doesn’t see All-Star potential isn’t watching the team enough. There’s still work to do, but each year he’s improving, and he’s hit a point where other All-Stars are starting to notice it.
I really like what I see out of Jehrico, he’s got energy bench big written all over him. Grimes looks likely a keeper, and Cam still should be a quality 3 and D guy in the L. For all those that poo poo on Fournier’s deal this past offseason, he’s sixth in the NBA in total 3’s, shooting near 40% from range.
That’s the positive, now for the negative. Thibs has no offensive imagination, the Knicks do not move the ball around the perimeter looking for the open three, they instead play too much Iso/hero ball. Mitch still makes “this is my first time playing basketball” mistakes. Randle should not have been given an extension. The playoffs should have given the team enough pause to want to see one more year before making a long term commitment. They let a 16-4 finish to last season dictate this past offseason instead of looking at the big picture (25-27 before that, handled pretty easily in the playoffs). $5.09M x 2 years was absolute lunacy for Taj. There are much better players playing on Vet minimums this year. Walker and Rose combined might give the Knicks one healthy leg.
Unlike the early 2000’s when Franchise, Steph, Curry, and others completely killed the Cap Sheet and embarrassed on the court, this iteration isn’t that dire. That said, the shift has to go back to build this offseason instead of contend. No desperate play for Westbrook, unless the Lakers will take back long term money like Randle. No aging vet that may help us sneak into the playoffs signing. The Big Three era is over in a sense. Brooklyn and Lakers are a mess. Why does Phoenix work now? Two of their big three were drafted, and signed rookie scale extensions. Keep developing RJ, see if Cam can be your number three, move some vets for yourh/picks, lose 50 next year while developing, then make the big play in the summer of 2023 when you can build a sustainable winner.
With all the player movement in professional team sports today, the only way a team is built is through developing young players as a core. Trades and FA signings are nice to speculate about, but something has to be in place for those to take hold.
It takes years for a crummy team to build a good young core. Dolan’s track record – he is the person that makes the big decisions – is to jump at some name players and dump some solid guys as soon as he thinks the team is any good.
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The Knicks are one of the most overrated franchises in team sports. Since the Red Holtzman, Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley, Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed era they’ve had a couple of decent teams including the goons that Pat Riley ran out until the NBA changed the rules. They haven’t been a serious championship contender in 50 years, and currently are not 2-3 years away from becoming one.
The Knicks are not a classic NBA franchise – never have been. The sad thing is that NYC has some of the best playground basketball in America, and the fans are among the most knowledgeable as to how to play the sport.
Knicks are not overrated. They just have one of the worst, most petty, impulsive, and foolish owners in professional sports. If Dolan sold the team, they’d be back as a perennial playoff team in no time. Free agents specifically avoid New York because of Dolan.
Knicks were still fine for several years after they changed the rules (as you put it). But take a look at what happened when Dolan took over and started exerting his influence. Ordered Grunfeld to he fired. Drove Van Gundy and Checketts away. Then heavy-handed some big name coaches and foolish free agents into the mix.
The one constant through all of the losing and dysfunction is Dolan. And we’re probably stuck with him for another few decades.
What is the point of listing great Knick players of old except to imply the lister knows best, a rhetorical device.
However I have no idea what “not a classic franchise” means.
The advice is standard BS, ideal & standard anywhere: Nevermind trades & free agency, but “develop young players as a core”. I always smh that.
Young core is nice to say if you have 5 years to spare, or for a GM, 5 years of employment while shrugging aside the boss, media or impatient fans. Be sure to employ championship amateur talent evaluation and development as well, unless the advice is all just a scam to get a cool job after all.
But I’m sure current management says they have that, so everyone can rest easy and stop showing your knowledge on HR. /s
Agree with greg1’s positives and rct’s negatives.
Ayton hasn’t signed a RSC for PHO as yet, & hopefully he won’t unless they give him the max!
It is a good negotiating tactic to be a key force in consecutive WC titles!
No Suns article above tho…
Thibs being Thibs. Refuse to give young guys a shot even tho the vets go out there and puke all over themselves. He should be fired.