Jose Alvarado is officially listed as questionable for the Knicks’ home game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday, and it is going to shake things up, no doubt. His potential return could mean a seriously diminished role for backup point guard Tyler Kolek, who has shown flashes of playmaking excellence in the early stages of this season.
Alvarado’s Ankle Saga and Early Season Struggles
The guy has been battling a left ankle sprain, which popped up on New York’s injury report last Saturday, according to head coach Mike Brown in his pregame press conference. That forced Alvarado out of Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic. That was just the start. He then missed Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Pistons and Wednesday’s battle with the Bulls in Chicago, making it three straight misses due to the ankle sprain.
When Alvarado *was* on the court, it was a mixed bag. In the season opener, he looked sharp, scoring eight points with three rebounds, three assists, two steals, and was a plus-6 in 16 minutes. But in the team’s 107-103 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday, he struggled, big time. He scored just two points to go along with two rebounds, two assists, and a steal, but he turned the ball over three times and finished as a minus-10 in just 11 minutes. Overall this season, Alvarado has averaged 13.5 minutes per game across two contests, with five assists to four turnovers. Not what you want to see for a backup point guard.
Kolek Steps Up: Playmaking Flashes, Shooting Woes
With Alvarado sidelined, Tyler Kolek stepped into a bigger role off the bench, and he definitely showed some flashes. The kid has potential, especially with his playmaking. During Sunday’s loss against the Magic, Kolek dished out a whopping nine assists, grabbed three rebounds, and played 15 minutes. The only thing missing? Points. He went 0-for-4 from the field, zero points. Yikes.
But he bounced back a bit in Tuesday’s win over the Pistons at MSG. In 11 minutes, Kolek put up two points, one rebound, three assists, and two steals, helping the Knicks grab their first win of the season. He has shown some serious playmaking excellence early on, which makes Alvarado’s return all the more interesting. His increased minutes came purely out of necessity, but he made the most of some of those opportunities.
Now, all eyes are on Monday night’s game against the Nets. Will Alvarado be back in the rotation? If he is, how does he look after that ankle sprain? And what happens to Kolek and his minutes? This backup point guard situation is going to be a fascinating one to watch as the Knicks try to find their rhythm early in the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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