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Kyle Lowry is one of the decisive playmakers the Knicks will pursue when free agency begins Monday at 6 p.m. But the Knicks are also hoping they drafted Lowry Lite in the NBA Draft Thursday night.
If comparisons between second-year West Virginia point guard Miles McBride and Lowry prove to be premonitory, Knicks president Leon Rose will have pulled off the biggest draft robbery in franchise history.
McBride, who turns 21 in September, said in a video posted Thursday night by his draft team that he would charge teams for dropping him to 36th place.
From Morgantown to Midtown, the 6-foot-2 spark plug caught the attention of Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau as a pesky defenseman and gifted outside shooter.
“I’m really honored to have my style of play compared to Kyle Lowry,” McBride said on a Zoom call on Friday. “I know he led the league in charge and I will do anything to win. This is something that I can certainly support.
Nicknamed “Deuce,” McBride was asked about his proclamation regarding teams who found him too small to be drafted in the first round. He measured with the draft combine at 6-2 ¾, but with a wingspan of 6-8.
“I feel like I have a winning DNA through high school, college,” said McBride, who was a high school quarterback in Cincinnati. “That’s the main thing I want to bring to the Knicks. Win and keep going up. I want to do all this while winning, a lot of teams will regret not having taken me.
“I think I’m definitely one of the best players in the draft,” added McBride. “It’s not where you start, but where you end. “
The Knicks reached the playoffs at 41-31 last season but need a starting point guard. It might be too much to ask McBride to play a lot of minutes as a rookie, but he doesn’t care. He believes his first chance is to “showcase” his game to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, which begins August 8th.
Thibodeau immediately went to McBride during their training and interview. The fact that McBride is a former quarterback may have drawn the Knicks coach to “Deuce”.
“Being a quarterback taught me a lot of leadership skills,” McBride said. “Being able to lead a team of 80, 90 guys. Thibs saw that the leadership and leadership style didn’t scream but definitely held guys accountable. He knows I’ll be able to take criticism from [West Virginia] Coach [Bob] Cuddles.”
In Morgantown, W.Va., McBride, averaged 15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in sophomore. He shot 41.4% from 3 points. All this for a trainer who rivals Thibodeau for his obsessively dark demeanor.
“I’ve heard from everyone I’ve met, if you can play for Huggins, you can play for anyone,” McBride said. “I’ve heard that Thibs is a tough coach. This is how I want it to be at this level too.
McBride knew there was a good chance he would end up in New York after they met.
“They knew me and understood where I was from,” McBride said. “They have friends in the West Virginia program. It’s great to be on a team that wants me, understands my game and sees all I can do on the pitch. ”
McBride saw what Hawks superstar playmaker Trae Young did to the Knicks in the playoffs. If the teams meet again, McBride may need to be “The Trae Stopper”.
“Trae is a three level scorer,” McBride said. “He can shoot a long distance and get out of the pick-and-roll. It is very difficult to stay attached to him. Being able to pit my skills against his, I can’t wait to take on this challenge.
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