From all I can tell (from the luxury of my couch), McBride has grown into an NBA quality player. His growth has been phenomenal since he was drafted. No longer the kid with massive hair, quick and jerky, looking a little lost, and afraid to take the shot. He has turned into a man overnight, or so it seems to me anyway. He attacks like he knows he belongs on an NBA floor, and his shooting has been exceptional as his confidence has skyrocketed. He's not afraid to put up a trey, and if he does, it's going through the net at a 44% pace this season...a small sample size for sure, but it shows he can shoot, and he is not afraid to put it up.

When the rookies were Grimes, IQ, Sims, and McBride, I never thought McBride would be the player to get extended to a longer deal. Maybe it was our need for a PG backup or that he could be locked up on the cheap. But Thibs obviously saw something in Deuce that he liked enough to extend a contract. And McBride has shown us why. The coaches have obviously done their job well in training him.

Remember the 2021 draft?

Round One
- Quentin Grimes, Guard, Houston Cougars (No. 25 - trade with Clippers at No. 21)

Round Two
- Rokas Jokubaitis, Guard, Lituania (No. 34)
- Miles McBride, Guard, West Virginia Mountaineers (No. 36)
- Jericho Sims, Forward, Texas Longhorns (No. 58)

I thought Grimes would become a star and Jokubaitis would become our future point guard. I liked Sims, but saw him as a long term project to become a decent 4 or 5, but needed to add weight and needed seasoning. To me, McBride was an afterthought, and Thibs was counting on Joku to backup Brunson. Now it appears that McBride's the leader of the 2nd team off the bench. His maturity has amazed me, and he looks like an NBA quality point guard.

Gotta hand it to Thibs for putting this team together.

blkexec may get a tad jealous you are moving in on his Deuce love

Good points.

Was wrong about Deuce. Thought he would be playing in China by now. Never liked his shooting mechanics. Thought he lacked the aggressiveness and confidence needed in the NBA. Also, he seemed scared of the stage. The difference of play in the G League and in the NBA showed that. However, that all has changed since his extension. He has a different mindset. Is comfortable and is not hesitating. He is now a solid rotation player who, if he keeps playing how he is, will move on to the "needs a bigger role" category. Especially if he improves his variety of drives and mid range. Happy for the kid.