Nobody can take away Jose Alvarado's impact with the New York Knicks during their Finals run last year. Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs is known for that 29-point comeback and the OG Anunoby tip-in, but nobody should forget the barrage of threes Alvarado hit in the fourth quarter before they eventually took a commanding lead in that series.

That was last season, but the early portion of 2026-2027 hasn't been so kind to the backup point guard. Although it looked like Alvarado would be the second option behind Jalen Brunson entering the season, his early-season struggles and an injury opened the door for Tyler Kolek, who ran with the opportunity. While Kolek hasn't developed into a sharpshooter by any means, he's been a facilitator in every sense of the word, with an astounding 31 assists and just two turnovers.

It's hard to make too much of a game where the Knicks were firmly in control like that one against the Bulls, but it is fair to read between the lines about how Mike Brown used his backup point guards. Kolek played well in Alvarado's absence and looks to have been rewarded since he was subbed in before him in that game against Chicago.

But a role change and slipping play isn't the only worry for Alvarado, considering it appears New York might need to make a bench sacrifice to better round out this roster for a repeat bid.

Kolek's usage vs. Alvarado's

Kolek came in during the second quarter Wednesday, replacing Deuce McBride. Brown didn't put Alvarado in until the fourth.

By then, the game was out of reach for the Bulls, and the Knicks had a 99% win probability. Although their minutes were similar, with Kolek being on the court for 11 minutes and Alvarado for nine, Alvarado essentially got garbage-time minutes.

It also didn't help that in the time that Alvarado saw on the court, he was essentially a non-factor. Again, the game was out of reach, but if there's going to be an in-season competition to see who is second on the point guard depth chart, Alvarado certainly didn't help his cause by going 0-for-4 from the field, 0-for-2 from three, and having two assists and two turnovers. He had as many turnovers in one game as Kolek has had in this short season.

Of course, it isn't a total indictment of Alvarado to say that Kolek should get more minutes than him at this point. It's still early in the season, and the Knicks must play the hot hand wherever they can. In this case, it's Kolek and his ability to get a ton of ball movement on the floor.

Later on in the year, things could be different. Kolek could struggle, and then Alvarado could step up and take his place. We already saw that in last year's Finals. Who could have predicted that, when the Knicks got Alvarado from the Pelicans last year, he would be instrumental in the Knicks' biggest comeback in the sport's history on its biggest stage?

However, it's also a new season, and the theme of this one so far is lacking size for New York off of the bench. It's also become clear the Knicks have multiple strong bench pieces who all happen to be guards or smaller wings.

A consolidation might need to happen, especially if New York's backup big situation is going to remain problematic. That's what puts Alvarado, who possesses a very tradable contract and a distinct value the rest of the NBA is aware of, in greater danger should his role change be more long-lasting.