Dylan Backer
New York Knicks guard Miles McBride has been out since late January after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia, but he is now very close to returning with only eight games remaining until the playoffs.
Knicks will have a tough decision to make with Miles McBride returning
His return will give the Knicks their top bench scorer and one of their best on-ball defenders back on the court. However, that will also mean that someone currently in the rotation is going to have to take a seat, which will undoubtedly be a very tough decision given the amount of depth they have.
As of now, Jose Alvarado has essentially taken McBride’s spot in the rotation, but he has recently entered a real slide in terms of his production. Over his last 10 games, he is averaging just 3.4 points and is shooting only 36% from the floor.
In Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Alvarado was benched in the second half in favor of Tyler Kolek after playing five minutes in the first half without recording a stat. After showing some real aggression on both ends upon his arrival at the trade deadline, Alvarado has alarmingly become more passive on offense and is finding himself in foul trouble on the other end.
Alvarado could be the odd man out
As of now, Alvarado figures to be the odd man out when McBride returns. The re-emergence of Jordan Clarkson has created a logjam of guards in the second unit alongside Alvarado and Landry Shamet, and the latter has shown to be a highly impactful defender and three-point shooter all season long.
Mohamed Diawara has been in and out of the rotation in recent weeks, thanks to Clarkson’s resurgence. While the Knicks could use his size in spurts in the playoffs, it’s unlikely that they will rely on the rookie to play significant minutes in a postseason setting.
Therefore, Alvarado could become more situational during the playoffs, as they could still use his intensity in certain situations. However, the Knicks are chasing a title, so they need to play their most trustworthy options at all times in order to reach that ultimate goal.
Nevertheless, getting McBride back will be huge for this team, and his energy off the bench will certainly provide a spark to a team in need of one.
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