Knicks Not Out of the Woods With Miles McBride as Playoffs Near

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride managed to end the regular season on a high note Sunday. In just over 24 minutes, McBride put up 21 points against the Charlotte Hornets, including connecting on 4-of-7 from three-point land and going 8-of-15 from the field.

Considering the scoring-minded guard had struggled in that department since his return from core muscle surgery — mustering only 19 total points over his five previous outings before Sunday — it was great to see some of the rust finally shake off.

However, after the game, McBride admitted he's still "getting [his] wind back" and working "through residual pain" from his injury. Considering these comments and the challenging environment of the playoffs New York is about to enter, there's reason to worry about McBride's current state.

Deuce McBride injury saga follows Knicks into the playoffs

All things considered, the Knicks are currently living one of the better outcomes after McBride's sports hernia surgery. There were initial fears when he was sidelined that he could miss the entire regular season, or even longer.

Instead, he returned on the early side of projections in late March. That allowed him to at least get a feel for live-game action post-injury, providing valuable tune-up time ahead of the playoffs.

That being said, McBride hadn't looked strong on the court prior to Sunday. He entered that game an abysmal 6-of-22 from the field in his previous five, including a 1-of-9 performance on March 31, and his important three-point contributions for the Knicks were lacking at just 28.6 percent shooting.

While McBride righted a ton of those wrongs against Charlotte, that matchup was also a bit of a unique situation. Four of New York's five primary starters sat out, and Mikal Bridges played just 23 seconds. All the Hornets had to do was keep the B team in check, and it was clear NY lacked the juice, so Charlotte was likely content to let McBride work since there were no other threats to worry about.

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride reacts at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Also taking away a bit from McBride's performance is how it didn't help him figure out his fit alongside the rest of the main contributors post-injury. It'd have been much more promising to see McBride have this kind of night while playing with the starters, especially given how lineup synergy has been a clear issue throughout the year.

This is the kind of showing that could make Mike Brown more confident playing McBride heavy minutes, but that feeling could easily crumble in the playoffs if the guard's not able to find the same kind of confidence while he's not a primary option.

Hawks may target McBride in first round for advantage over Knicks

McBride's comments at least set off some small alarm bells, given how much more demanding playoff basketball is. He's made it clear he's not exactly 100%, and him not being able to hold up during the postseason would be a big blow to the second unit.

Unfortunately, this also lets the Atlanta Hawks know how to throw off one of the Knicks' most reliable scorers, as they can be extra physical with McBride to truly test his body post-surgery.

The Hawks already have strong perimeter defenders in Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, both of whom weren't afraid to make contact with over two personal fouls per game in 2025-26. Meanwhile, Onyeka Okongwu was happy to punish any opponents who went to the rim against him, ranking No. 5 in personal fouls per game at a whopping 3.3.

Considering Atlanta (No. 6, 118.5) has the slight PPG edge over New York (116.5), the Knicks can't afford to see that output slip, and making McBride's life even more difficult is one obvious way for the Hawks to grow their advantage.

This isn't to say McBride is a glaring weakness for the Knicks' playoff rotation. But he does come with some baggage given his 28-game absence came right before the postseason, and opponents are going to use any possible edge they can get over No. 3 seed New York, which is a legitimate contender to make it out of the hotly contested Eastern Conference.

That makes this break before the start of the first round on Saturday even more impactful for the Knicks, as it'll afford McBride several more days to get his body closer to full strength, and extra time for Brown's staff to set up the scoring guard for a strong playoff performance.

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