Knicks Thrive with Brunson and McBride Together

Statistics reveal something compelling.

The Knicks seem to excel when Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride are on the court at the same time. As they approached Game 5 against the Hawks on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, their net rating for this postseason together stood at an impressive 29.5 points.

This rating was the highest among the top twelve player pairings in terms of playing time during the first four games of this series. The Knicks demonstrated strong performance on both offensive and defensive ends, achieving an offensive rating of 120.9 and a defensive rating of 91.5.

“Like any teammate, I aim to make his job as easy as possible,” McBride mentioned when discussing his partnership with Brunson. “I try to make everyone’s life easier, whether on defense or offense. I just bring my talent and everything I see in the game to the floor.”

Although McBride showed some rust after missing 28 games during the regular season due to sports hernia surgery, he had a strong resurgence in Games 3 and 4, scoring 16 and 13 points respectively, making 8 of 16 three-point attempts. His playing time also increased, reaching 31 and 23 minutes.

Interestingly, in those games, McBride was on the court for much of the second half instead of Mikal Bridges, who had been struggling.

Brunson praised McBride, stating, “He’s been playing great. We can utilize him for various actions, and his shooting and defensive skills are invaluable to the team. Regardless of who’s on the floor, he brings a lot of great things.”

As one of the Knicks’ quickest players, McBride has been crucial in countering the Hawks’ fast-paced game. He also takes some pressure off Brunson, who frequently faces double teams and full-court pressure.

While not a conventional point guard, McBride excels at bringing the ball up the court, second only to Brunson and Josh Hart. This allows Brunson to operate more freely in half-court situations without wearing down.

Together, Brunson and McBride have been effective in forcing screens during guard-to-guard actions, addressing a tactic the Hawks exploited earlier in the series.

“We’ve been doing this consistently, and it worked in our last playoff game,” McBride noted. “I just focus on getting involved and doing what works.”

Coach Mike Brown acknowledged Brunson’s effective screen-setting ability, saying, “He’s an excellent screen setter, and the way he changes the pace can really disrupt the defense.”

The ongoing interplay between Brunson and McBride throughout the series resembles a strategic game of chess.