The New York Knicks made the decision to not only bench starting point guard Kemba Walker, but remove him from the lineup entirely.
Going forward, the Knicks will be playing with one less point guard, but instead of starting Derrick Rose, Alec Burks got the nod.
Coach Tom Thibodeau explained that he didn’t want a bunch of small guards playing at the same time, and with Rose and Quickley already filling that role, there was no room for Walker.
Perhaps this is why rookie point guard Mile McBride isn’t getting much work in New York, but is instead shining in Westchester where the team’s G-League affiliate plays.
In an effort to get him some playing time, he’s been moving back and forth between Westchester and New York, but he’s shown that he’s ready to go at moment’s notice.
His most recent G-League performance showed that he might be able to provide a scoring punch for the Knicks if he’s able to get playing time.
Is McBride Ready?
Every game he’s played in the G-League can just be added to the rookie’s highlight reel as he outperforms everybody’s expectations.
As a second-round draft pick, it wasn’t expected for him to get much action with the Knicks, but as they find themselves sitting at .500, they might not have many other options left for themselves.
On Thursday, McBride put up 31 points and nine assists to go along with 5/8 shooting from three.
With performances like this time and time again, it might be time for McBride to get some actual work with the big leagues.
He’s appeared in six games so far this season, but he plays in tiny spurts and only averages 1.3 minutes in those games he does find himself in.
Perhaps he could get some real reps for the team, and it feels like it would’ve been perfect for him in the game against the Bulls where RJ Barrett was unable to play.
Can McBride Get Action?
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Coach Thibodeau has shown a tendency to go with his veterans over some of the younger players on the team, which has been a reason why Obi Toppin hasn’t been able to get consistent minutes.
Toppin has been playing a lot more as of late, but with the Knicks wanting to get back to the playoffs for a second season in a row, it might be tough to find playing time for McBride. Then again, the Brooklyn Nets are finding out how to get their rookie Cam Thomas playing time, and they find themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference.
There’s still a lot of season left to go and we’ve seen that Thibs can change his lineup at the drop of a hat. McBride keeps going back and forth between New York and Westchester, so he could continue to get game action, but the question always is how much time will he get when does get minutes.
Only Thibodeau knows the answer to that, so fans will need to stay tuned and see what he does with his young and promising guard.
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