The New York Knicks' midseason trade for Jose Alvarado was supposed to be the first chapter of a heartwarming story. After going undrafted, the point guard from Brooklyn carving out an NBA role with the New Orleans Pelicans was the perfect set-up for a title run with his hometown Knicks.
But after a strong string of debut performances for New York, Alvarado has struggled to impact high-leverage games in short stints of play. He didn't play, at all, in either of the Knicks' momentous wins against the Hawks or Celtics last week. And according to head coach Mike Brown, he's not part of the team's top group of nine players set to comprise New York's playoff rotation.
This isn't how things were supposed to play out when the Knicks traded two second-round picks, to swap their biggest offseason roster addition in Guerschon Yabusele, for the 6-foot guard. It doesn't have to mean that Alvarado's story as a Knick is written, though.
Big playoff stage means Alvarado's Knicks story is far from over
Alvarado falling out of the team's rotation ahead of the postseason isn't any sort of indication that he's done impacting winning in a Knicks jersey.
Team captain Jalen Brunson described his energy as a "skill" earlier on in the season, which Alvarado himself affirmed after what he said were several years at the NBA level of taking his own energy as a given.
While nobody with or surrounding the Knicks is rooting for any sort of injury to occur, they can tend to happen in the midst of intense playoff games where every step, dribble, or foul could determine the outcome. Alvarado might be thrust into the action, and he'll need to be ready to help New York play winning basketball as soon as he enters.
Alvarado bumped out of rotation by unexpected, but welcome, surprise
Part of the reason the Knicks seem comfortable benching Alvarado, after citing a need for ball handling after making their in-season trade for him, is Jordan Clarkson.
The scoring guard's resurgence in the second half of the season has represented a total reinvention of his game at the NBA level. He's guarding all 94 feet on the defensive side of the court and shying almost completely away from attempting 3-point shots on offense.
Clarkson's thesis is to drive into the paint, score if he easily can, and look for an open teammate if the rim is well-protected. While he was previously too inconsistent offensively for Brown to justify platforming his defensive miscues, he's become a completely different kind of player.