Derrick Rose needed a second to figure out who he was being asked about when reporters tried to get a beteran assessment of rookie guard Mile McBride’s performance for the Knicks in Tuesday’s loss to the Warriors.
“From who?” Rose said, confused. “Who? Oh, Deuce.”
Miles “Deuce” McBride, New York’s second-round pick out of West Virginia in this year’s NBA Draft, played a season-high 20:19 on Tuesday, having never played more than 3:55 before that. But once Rose figured out just who he was being asked about, he gushed over the rookie’s performance and potential.
“Deuce is a good player, man,” Rose said. “A good, young player. His confidence is very high. Of course his defense is top tier, and he just needs time. Hopefully Thibs gives him the time, but we know how good he is and we know how good the rookies are. It’s always about opportunity in this league.”
McBride was coveted by Thibodeau for his defense, but the 21-year-old also showed some ability on the offensive end as well on Tuesday, hitting two of his four 3-points attempts and finishing with eight points on the night and a +4 in the loss.
It was just the ninth game McBride has appeared in so far this season, but with RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and Quentin Grimes all in the league’s health and safety protocols, while Kemba Walker continues to see nothing but the bench, McBride could find himself with more opportunities to prove himself in the short term, and solidify the belief Thibodeau already has in his young point guard.
“We see it in practice,” Thibodeau said. “When he’s had opportunities in the G-League, he played really well there as well. He played well in the Summer League. It’s good for him to have an opportunity like that. All the things he works on every single day, to get into a game situation and see it unfold there is positive. Our young guys are playing really hard and they’re coming along.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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