New York – Before the trade deadline, the New York Knicks acquired point guard Jose Alvarado after half a season of searching for another ball handler. The point guard has fit into head coach Mike Brown's system relatively seamlessly. In his first month, he helped the group endure the temporary loss of back-up guard Miles McBride. This came in the form of contributions like closing out their 18-point comeback win over the Houston Rockets.
Before Wednesday night's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, reporters asked Brown about his impression of Alvarado so far. The coach was highly complimentary of the Brooklynite, telling reporters that he had already established himself as "irreplaceable" on this Knicks roster.
"He's been good. The agility is irreplaceable. It gives us a different look," Brown said, citing the team's desire to play fast as part of why Alvarado has been so effective. “He's different in a way that makes him look different. I don't know what that approach would be, but Jose was available.
"And I give to Leon [Rose] Credit, he found it. It's helped us on both ends of the floor. ...The energy he has on top of the agility he brings to the table every time we step on the floor is irreplaceable. At least with the people we had, or with the people we have. just different."
Alvarado gets taste of potential playoff role against Thunder
Alvarado has played 18.9 minutes per game in 11 games with New York, averaging 7.5 points, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals a night. Despite only shooting 29.4% on 3-pointers as a Knick, the energy Brown mentioned is his calling card. The guard has performed well and his overall field goal percentage is right in line with his average throughout his career.
Regardless, Alvarado may have got an idea of what his playoff role might look like on Wednesday against Oklahoma City. The guard made only one of his four shots, including two misses from downtown. He only played 12 minutes in total. He briefly scored on Jalen Brunson 1:24 into the fourth quarter against Lou Dort before returning to the bench.
Once McBride returns from injury, Alvarado may need to impact the game in shorter periods of action on the court. He'll likely earn more opportunities to finish big shots, especially if the matchup requires it schematically. But if the Knicks want to continue to re-establish depth as a priority under Brown, they'll have to rely on themselves.
However, the team has yet to have all of Brunson, McBride and Alvarado healthy together. Once that happens, the playoffs will be an imminent concern. Brown would need to rely on his players, and whatever data he was able to get on them when testing came. That could mean smaller – but still important – roles for players like Alvarado.
