New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado has been one of the best acquisitions of the 2025-26 season. He's provided invaluable minutes during the early stages of his Knicks tenure, producing absurd on-off differentials and embodying the gritty defensive nature that's defined generations of New York basketball.
For as brilliant as Alvarado has been, an impossible question will need to be answered before or perhaps even during the 2026 NBA Playoffs: Does he fit next to Miles McBride?
It's a question the Knicks are eager to answer, but may have to wait until the playoffs to truly determine. That's a haunting possibility, but McBride is currently recovering from sports hernia surgery and may be sidelined until the closing weeks of the 2025-26 regular season.
The question then becomes whether or not that return date would provide New York with enough time to explore the sustainability of an Alvarado and McBride backcourt pairing off the bench.
Head coach Mike Brown could stagger Alvarado and McBride's minutes in order to give them opportunities without having to play them together. One would still need to play alongside fellow undersized guard Jalen Brunson, however, which would thus pose a similar question.
To put it simply: Can the Knicks realistically hope to win in the playoffs if they're giving consistent minutes to three different guards who are 6'2" and under?
Miles McBride's absence gives Knicks no time to see if Jose Alvarado fits with him
Alvarado, who's listed at 6'0", has averaged 16.7 essential minutes per game since joining the Knicks. During that time, he's produced marks of 6.1 points, 3.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, overcoming inefficient shooting to make a positive impact.
The Knicks are outscoring opponents by an absurd and team-leading 21.8 points per 100 possessions with Alvarado on the court through 250 minutes played.
Clearly, that number will come back down to the realm of sustainability once he plays more minutes and games for the Knicks. What it reflects, however, is how his defensive intensity and playmaking have offered New York's second unit invaluable quality.
Though it may thus seem easy to simply state that a place needs to be found for Alvarado in the postseason rotation, one can't justifiably overlook McBride in the equation.
Can the Knicks play three 6'2" and shorter guards in the playoffs?
The Knicks are outscoring opponents by 10.3 points per 100 possessions with McBride on the court and 4.2 when he isn't. The former number is the best of any player New York has put on the court for at least 500 minutes. The 6.1-point swing is an accurate depiction of McBride's impact.
Between his energy on defense, his value as a scorer, and his elite three-point shooting at 42.0 percent on 6.9 attempts per game, McBride is vital to the Knicks' success.
With this in mind, and Brunson locked into a high-volume role as the franchise player, Alvarado could be the odd man out. It'd be an unfortunate development considering how well he's played, but finding a way around that possibility has become a challenge Brown must conquer.
If the Knicks find a way to get Alvarado on the court in a postseason setting, his defense may very well swing games in their favor and bring Madison Square Garden to its feet.