Despite major injuries, such as those that affected Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and OG Anunoby, but also several trades, the Knicks have shone with their consistency this season, and here they are 3rd in the Eastern Conference two weeks before the end of the season regular.
Jalen Brunson has been running the house since the start of the season, and to support him, he can count on the emergence of two big shooters. In addition to Donte DiVincenzo, who will beat the franchise record established by Evan Fournier, New York can rely on the leg of Miles McBride. We discovered him as Brunson's understudy, and we realized that he has joker qualities. Against the Raptors, he planted six 3-pointers in the first quarter, and since the All-Star Game, he has shot 44% from distance.
“I stand out, I shoot. This is what I have in mind” he explains simply. “The guys give me great passes, and I can position myself well. I have to shoot with confidence, and clearly, every time I go up, I tell myself that it's going to go in. I let things happen…”
From 1.6 points on average in November to 14 points on average in March
As a result, McBride could position himself on the record for 3-pointers scored in a game. Against the Raptors, he planted 9, two points shy of the record set this week by Donte DiVincenzo.
“Actually, I was curious… I thought Thibs was going to leave it on the field, and I wanted him to do it” confides DiVincenzo about his teammate's card against the Raptors. “But we were well ahead… I told him he would have other opportunities to do it. It's obvious. »
More than his 3-point skill, it's McBride's general performance that impresses. At the start of the season, he was at the end of the bench, like in November, with an average of 1.6 points in 10 matches. His playing time? Between 4 and 6 minutes from October to December. And then, the leaders parted ways with Immanuel Quickley, sent to the Raptors, then from Quentin Grimes, transferred to the Pistons, and McBride seized his chance. In March, he averaged 14 points, and recently, Thibodeau left him on the court for 48 minutes! Over the last five games, he plays more than 44 minutes on average.
Home-field advantage objective
“It’s a good question where that confidence comes from.” reacts Tom Thibodeau. “It comes from your work and your preparation. When you see the results – and we saw it in practice with his volume of shots and his skill in practice – and when he came back to training camp, it was obvious. Now that his role is expanded, he has good pace and can really shoot. On top of that, his defense is excellent. It’s high level and it’s unique to watch.”
Best outside shooter for the Knicks this season with 42.2% at 3-points, McBride doesn't hide the fact that he keeps an eye on the rankings. The Knicks can still finish 2nd, since they only have one victory less than the Bucks, current runners-up to the Celtics.
“It’s not our number 1 objective, but we clearly have an eye on it” he concludes. “It’s a championship, and we have to be aware of that when we want to climb the rankings. We have to continue to win matches and put ourselves in the best possible position to have home advantage, that's the most important thing. »
To do this, you have to finish in the first four places, and the Magic and the Cavaliers can still take them out of the Top 4.
