The New York Knicks are assigning seldom-used rookie point guard Miles McBride to the NBA G League.
McBride, the 36th pick of the recent draft, will be available to play for the Westchester Knicks’ home opener against the Long Island Nets.
The game is set Wednesday night in their temporary home at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, as the Westchester County Center is currently being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.
The telecast starts at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.
HOME OPENER ?
?: @LongIslandNets
?: 7:00 PM ET
?: @espn+ pic.twitter.com/GOmj6IKNI5— Westchester Knicks (@wcknicks) November 17, 2021
McBride is currently buried under the deep backcourt rotation of Tom Thibodeau with Kemba Walker, Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, and Alec Burks all healthy and playing well. The former West Virginia standout has only logged in a total of four minutes in the regular season, appearing in garbage time in two games. He has yet to score his first NBA basket, missing all his four attempts.
Thibodeau has hinted in the past that they will use the G League to have their rookies get some reps in real game settings.
“When we have opportunities to get them playing time [in the G League], we’ll try to take advantage of that,” Thibodeau said. “I also think having substitutes in practice for some of our guys is an important part. The value has to be what’s best for us. We put a lot of time into our player development, so they put in work before. I like the thought of [G League] playing time, and I love the proximity of it, playing a game, and also getting [them] back and be with us.”
At Westchester, McBride will have the chance to play meaningful minutes in competitive games, something that he’s not bound to get in the NBA while the Knicks are healthy. The Westchester Knicks also need McBride as they are still winless in four games.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo