Knicks fans got both good and bad news within a very short span on Thursday as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
The good: New York acquired guard Jose Alvarado from the Pelicans for a pair of second-round picks and shooting guard Dalen Terry, acquired on Wednesday in exchange for Guerschon Yabusele. The bad: soon after the trade news broke, The Athletic reported the Knicks would be losing key reserve Miles “Deuce” McBride for an indefinite period due to surgery.
James L. Edwards III and Fred Katz reported on Thursday McBride would be undergoing “core muscle surgery” that may keep him out until the playoffs. The fifth-year guard missed the last five games for New York with “left ankle injury management.”
It’s a tough blow and sheds light on why the team acquired Alvarado. McBride is the first guard off the bench in coach Mike Brown’s rotation most nights and is usually the first choice to step into the starting lineup when someone is out due to injury. Whether he’s a starter or coming off the bench, though, he’s been excellent for the orange and blue this season. McBride is averaging a career-high 12.9 points per game and drilling 42% of his three-point shots on nearly seven attempts per game.
The Alvarado trade is a great story since he’s a Brooklyn native who attended high school in Queens. His gritty playstyle will quickly be embraced by the Knicks’ faithful. But he’ll immediately need to step up and contribute with McBride now sidelined for the foreseeable future. Alvarado isn’t a one-to-one replacement as a scorer by any stretch of the imagination but New York brought him in to relieve Jalen Brunson when he needs to sit. If Alvarado can ensure the Knicks don’t tank those minutes he’ll be a worthwhile acquisition and his defense could prove valuable in certain playoff matchups.
Losing McBride for a while hurts the 33-18 Knicks, but they really need his scoring ability come playoff time. As the team integrates Alvarado into the rotation they’ll be hoping to see McBride again when the postseason rolls around in April.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Key Knicks Reserve Deuce McBride Out Indefinitely With Core Muscle Surgery .
