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The New York Knicks are gearing up to play their cross-borough rival, the Brooklyn Nets, for their fourth game in six days.
As a result, one can only expect that Tom Thibodeau’s club will be heading into the exhibition with some semblance of fatigue, but, when it comes to guard Miles “Deuce” McBride, there’s a real possibility that the sophomore will be absolutely gassed as he’ll already have taken part in a full game during the hours leading up to the club’s 7:30 PM tip-off.
SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley reported on March 1 that New York has sent McBride down to their G-League affiliate team, the Westchester Knicks, for their afternoon bout against the Delaware Blue Coats. Per Begley, following the contest, the 22-year-old will then make his way back to Manhattan where he’ll join the Knicks for their home tilt against Brooklyn.
Despite having played six games in Westchester during his rookie campaign in 2021-22, Wednesday’s assignment will be his first appearance on a G-League court this year.
During his day trip, the West Virginia product will have the opportunity to come across extended minutes on the hardwood, which is something that has not come about on the Knicks’ NBA roster as he remains on the outside looking in on a regular slot within the club’s nine-man rotation in 2022-23 and has averaged just 10 minutes a game since the start of January.
Knicks Sign Guard to Two-Way Contract
McBride isn’t the only second-year guard that has been making moves within the Knicks’ organization this week, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on February 28 that New York has reached an agreement with free agent Duane Washington Jr. on a two-way contract.
“The Knicks are planning to sign guard Duane Washington Jr., on a two-way contract, sources tell ESPN. Washington averaged 7.9 points in nearly 13 minutes for Suns this season,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
Following a three-year collegiate career at Ohio State where he posted averages of 16.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 37.4% shooting from deep during his final season, Washington declared for the 2021 NBA Draft where he would sign with the Indiana Pacers on a two-way deal as an undrafted free agent.
Most recently, he was found suiting up in 31 games for the Phoenix Suns where he posted averages of 7.9 points and 2.0 assists on 36.0% shooting from distance. For his career, the sophomore averages 9.1 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game on 39.1% shooting from the field and 37.1% shooting from beyond the arc.
Still only 22 years old, while he has shown flashes at times–including a 26-point, 8-assist outburst back on December 27–Washington should best be viewed as a developmental project for the New York Knicks rather than a player who can make an immediate impact in New York.
Knicks Stud Praised by JJ Redick
Since signing with the Knicks during last summer’s free agency period, Jalen Brunson has proven to be worth every penny of his lucrative four-year, $104 million contract as he has produced at the level of a borderline All-Star throughout his first season in the Big Apple.
However, just recently, former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick took things a step further as he stated on a recent episode of his podcast “The Old Man and the Three Things” that the 26-year-old has been playing better than virtually every other guard in the league, particularly since the start of the new year.
“A few weeks ago on First Take they let me do 60-seconds on Jalen Brunson and I gave him some love. And what I said was, since January 1, since, you know, the start of the new year, he’s playing as well as any guard in the NBA outside of Damian Lillard. I said that, that was a direct quote right there. And the responses to that showed me how many f*cking casual fans there are…You could just watch the game and see what Jalen Brunson does on a nightly basis and how important he is, especially in clutch,” Redick said on a recent episode of his podcast “The Old Man and the Three Things.”
Since the start of 2023, Brunson has been on an absolute tear, as he’s been averaging a whopping 28.2 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.2 rebounds on 49.9% shooting from the floor and 43.8% shooting from distance while the Knicks have gone 17-9 during this span.
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