The New York Knicks traded for Jose Alvarado after months of reported interest, bringing home the native New Yorker at an opportune time given the injury to Deuce McBride. It shouldn't surprise anyone that, after the Knicks' win on Saturday night over the Houston Rockets, Alvarado had the most steals in the entire NBA since being traded to his hometown squad. The point guard had five against the Rockets, including three late in the fourth quarter, and has been giving the Knicks exactly what they were looking for when they dealt for him ahead of the trade deadline.
Alvarado has been exactly who the Knicks thought they were getting
The five-steal performance from Alvarado was his second in his last three games, with the Brooklynite having notched the same amount against the 76ers just nights prior. While he didn't have any steals in the Knicks' next game on the road against the Chicago Bulls, the bursts of productivity off of the bench are all New York needs from the small guard.
Alvarado even closed the game against the Rockets on Saturday, delivering those three late steals in response to the coaching staff's trust in him. The Knicks seemingly want their depth to be featured as a strength of theirs this season, a direct follow-up to Mikal Bridges' public request last year for veterans like Landry Shamet and Cameron Payne to get more playing time.
Shamet has started to consistently emerge as an option to close games over Mikal Bridges. Mitchell Robinson, the team's longest-tenured player, has closed games in place of Karl-Anthony Towns, the team's highest-paid player, this season as well. Now, it seems like the Knicks' coaching staff isn't afraid to go with Alvarado in place of Josh Hart, either.
OG Anunoby played 40 minutes against the Rockets, a clear message from head coach Mike Brown that Mo Diawara and Jeremy Sochan aren't quite ready to displace the team's two-way forward just yet. Jalen Brunson is a superstar, and it's difficult to imagine anyone delivering impact comparable to what he can do on offense – especially with McBride sidelined until the postseason.
However, Brunson was on the bench for the first five and a half minutes of the fourth quarter against the Rockets. That's when the Knicks, led by Towns on both ends of the court, reduced the Rocket's near-20-point lead and paved the way for Brunson to come in and save the day.
Alvarado's defense was a huge part of both the comeback and the game's finish, demonstrating just how much impact he's already able to have on a Knicks team that spent all season wanting to add him.