David Purdy/Getty Images West Virginia sophomore guard Miles McBride
The New York Knicks need a point guard, and there are different ways that they can address that.
Perhaps the Knicks put together a trade package using one or multiple of their four draft picks — which is what has become expected of the franchise. Or they can simply use one of their picks to draft a point guard.
If New York wants to find their next point guard via the draft, then there’s a possibility that it takes West Virginia’s Miles McBride.
As reported by Marc Berman of the New York Post, McBride scheduled a workout with the Knicks — just one of two of his private workouts.
McBride is projected to be selected as a late first-round or early second-round pick, so the Knicks could grab him at No. 19 or No. 21. Or, as Berman noted, New York could use the No. 32 pick on McBride, too, if he’s still available and the Knicks keep that pick.
However, McBride has yet to hire an agent. Seeing as he just completed his sophomore season at West Virginia, the guard can still maintain his NCAA eligibility if he withdraws from the draft by July 7.
If he does stay in the draft, McBride could prove to be a good fit to fill the Knicks’ point guard void.
McBride’s Background
As a sophomore guard at West Virginia, McBride led the team with 15.9 points and 4.8 assists in 34.2 minutes per game. He was an efficient scorer as well. Over the course of 29 games, he shot 43.1% from the field overall and 41.4% on 3-pointers.
At the NBA Draft Combine, he measured in at 6-foot-1 without shoes and 6-foot-2.5 with shoes.
McBride’s Game
Although listed as a point guard, McBride has expressed his comfort in being a combo guard. In a New York Post article, McBride said he feels comfortable running the offense and playing off the ball.
Scoring-wise, McBride is versatile, and it’s something that NBA Canada’s Kyle Irving took note of in a mock draft:
Following a strong second season at West Virginia, McBride flashed his ability to score from all three levels of the floor with a confident 3-point jumper, a reliable pull-up or floater from midrange and strong, below-the-rim finishing around the basket as an undersized guard.
West Virginia’s Deuce McBride was absolutely on fire to start the shooting drills at the NBA Combine. Really popped physically and defensively, recently moving into the late first round of the ESPN mock draft.
At 1.9 steals per game, McBride also showed his impact on defense. With his near-6-foot-9 wingspan as recorded at the NBA Draft Combine, his defensive potential in the NBA is promising — particularly as a smaller guard. His wingspan can help him be a nuisance as an on-ball perimeter defender against even bigger backcourt players, making him a potentially solid two-way player in the league.
In terms of his fit on the Knicks, that defensive potential could be especially appealing to a defensive-minded coach like Tom Thibodeau.
McBride’s Limitations
Even with an impressive wingspan, the fact McBride is a little undersized is a concern. Against traditional-sized guards, McBride could likely hold his own. But he has yet to see how he would fare against bigger NBA players.
Whether McBride is enough of a true point guard is also something that has been brought up.
Alan Lu of NBA Scouting Live pointed out that McBride can be more focused on scoring than running an offense in addition to his inconsistent shooting. David Vertsberger of SNY also reported that McBride acknowledged a need to improve his pick-and-roll game.
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