Pacôme Dadiet: 1:05 of playing time on Friday against the Indiana Pacers. Jose Alvarado: DNP - Coach's Decision.
That was an actual minute of meaningful game action Dadiet saw for the New York Knicks as well. The team was outscored by six points in his brief second quarter stint, a two-point loss for New York.
It feels wrong that Alvarado hasn’t been able to get on the floor lately when the outing isn't in garbage time, but even the last man in the rotation (Dadiet) has. That's something that Mike Brown needs to change.
Mike Brown’s experimentation hasn’t led to Alvarado playing
Mike Brown often experiments with lineups during the regular season. Still, it was odd to see Dadiet check in while the Knicks trailed by six with 4:27 left in the second quarter on Friday. (My first instinct was to text a friend with "#4 REALLY?!?")
Yes, Dadiet and Alvarado play different positions. Still, it’s hard to imagine anyone would have on their bingo card that only the former would play in a close November game when both were available.
Tyler Kolek has certainly played well for the most part, and has usurped Alvarado as the backup point guard. But Kolek didn’t have much of an impact on Friday.
Part of Brown’s experimentation also included playing Jalen Brunson and Kolek together in the Indiana matchup. If he can play them both, why not try Brunson-Alvarado or Kolek-Alvarado?
New York could have used A DOG on the court against the Pacers. Indiana always comes to play against the Knicks, even when they have a subpar record. It took until the end of the game for the Knicks to show their most fight, when Alvarado clashed with Pacers guard Quenton Jackson.
Alvarado hasn’t played a meaningful minute in nearly 2 weeks
Alvarado missed four straight games in late October with a sprained ankle. Since returning, he hasn’t played in three of the Knicks' last six outings. In two, the 28-year-old only appeared during garbage time.
This is the same player who played during the fourth quarter of the Knicks' historic Game 4 comeback victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, making timely baskets and plays. He played nearly 10 minutes in the final frame that night, made all three of his shots, including two threes, dished out three assists, and saw his Knicks outscore the Spurs by 17 in his fourth quarter time on the floor.
Nearly everyone has played for New York at some point recently, before the game was out of reach. Dadiet (even if just for a minute). Mohamed Diawara. Dalton Knecht. It has now been nearly two weeks since Alvarado has seen the light of day outside garbage time.
Plus, Alvarado is New York through and through. He played high school basketball at Christ the King in Queens. I know that’s not a real reason to play him, but it was such a feel-good story when the Knicks traded for him, and he won a championship on the team he rooted for throughout his childhood.
Rest assured, he's remained a supportive teammate and professional. But it would be nice to see Grand Theft Alvarado get some meaningful minutes—just like everybody else.
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