The New York Knicks made a significant change to their rotation when they completed a trade for OG Anunoby with the Toronto Raptors.
The Knicks made their team defense better and three-point shooting better with the addition of OG Anunoby. However, they lost two rotational players in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley in the trade. OG Anunoby pretty seamlessly has fit into the starting lineup, playing in similar role as RJ Barrett did. However, Immanuel Quickley’s departure takes a ball handler out of the rotation, and specifically one who was a key part of the Knicks’ bench.
We are going to discuss a player who should get less playing time for the Knicks, and that is a bit of a tough question to answer with the rotation having a bit of a small sample size with this current roster. However, when taking into account the changes in the lineup that have taken place since the Anunoby trade in regards to RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley leaving the team, there is one player that stands out who has gotten a bigger role.
Let’s get into the one Knicks player who should lose minutes.
Miles McBride should get less minutes for the Knicks
Miles McBride
As a result of Quickley leaving in the Anunoby trade, Miles McBride has gotten a much larger role over the last couple of weeks for the Knicks. He has put up some good performances, notably against the Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies, when he shot well from three. He also provides a defensive spark off of the bench.
Miles McBride has gotten more ball handling responsibilities with the departure of Quickley, and ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline, that is completely fine. The Knicks should give him some run and see what he has. However, for a team that is looking to win a long of games down the stretch to get a decent seed, and potentially make a run in the playoffs, the Knicks should not plan on him playing as significant of a role as he is playing right now.
The Knicks have been mentioned with, and will likely acquire another ball handler to fill the void that Quickley left when he went to Toronto in the trade for Anunoby. That is the right approach. Miles McBride has his uses, especially as a part of a potential defensively-focused lineup that includes him playing alongside Josh Hart, Quentin Grimes, Anunoby and maybe Mitchell Robinson, who could return late in the year. However, the Knicks need to find someone who can run the offense when Brunson is not on the floor. Whether it is acquiring a bigger name like Dejounte Murray, or someone like Malcolm Brogdon, McBride’s minutes should ideally go down for the Knicks.
In the playoffs last year, the Knicks played Brunson every minute against the Miami Heat in Game 5, and it got them the win. In Game 6 after getting off to a double digit lead, Tom Thibodeau tried to get Brunson a few minutes of rest, and McBride came into the game. The Heat went on a run, and the game completely changed based on that.
McBride has some value, but he is not someone who you want to essentially be the backup ball handler in the playoffs. The Knicks should seek to decrease his minutes. Based on rumors, the Knicks seem to be looking to do that.
