Jose Alvarado Making Knicks Forget Miles McBride

Earlier​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ this month, Miles McBride had to go through a core muscle surgery, and the New York Knicks suddenly found themselves with an empty bench spot that no one could fill right away. New York was in need of a point guard to come off the bench who could defend, pace the game and keep the second unit going. They got their player on February 5, when they sent Dalen Terry, two second-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans, and got Jose Alvarado in return.

This was more than just a roster transaction. Alvarado is a Brooklyn native, a kid who grew up watching the Knicks and now bleeds orange and blue by birth. That kind of hunger doesn't show up in the box score, but it shows up every single time he checks in off the bench.​

Alvarado​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ hasn't started any game for the Knicks since he joined, but he is the reason behind almost every Knicks win. He is getting 13 to 25 minutes of playing time a game, and with the Knicks this season, he is averaging 9.1 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. His best performance came on February 12 against the Philadelphia 76ers, where he exploded for a season-high 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting from three all in just 19 minutes off the bench. After that one game, the league had the impression that the Knicks had really found something special.

Against​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the Milwaukee Bucks on February 28 in a dominant 127-98 blowout win, Alvarado gave New York exactly what they were missing. During two separate short stints in the second and fourth quarters, he gathered 7 points and 4 rebounds. Importantly, he got 5 assists, which was the most among all Knicks that night after Mikal Bridges.

He assisted Mohamed Diawara for threes, assisted Karl-Anthony Towns on a driving layup, and nailed a 27-foot three off a Mitchell Robinson dish in the second quarter. In the fourth, he made three consecutive assists to Diawara, OG Anunoby, and Bridges, putting the game beyond any doubt. His scoring contribution was not large, but his playmaking dominated the entire flow of those periods.​​

A Defensive Weapon the Knicks Needed