![\"Mike](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2236933839-e1775322044451.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Mike Brown speaks after a Knicks game as rotation decisions raise questions about a fan favorite guard.<\/p>\n
A postgame comment from Mike Brown<\/a>, along with recent rotation decisions, is raising questions about the role of fan-favorite guard Jose Alvarado<\/a> for the New York Knicks<\/a>.<\/p>\n Speaking after the Knicks\u2019 136-96 win over the Chicago Bulls<\/a> at Madison Square Garden, Brown pointed to a change at the backup point guard position, highlighting Miles McBride<\/a> and Landry Shamet<\/a> as the current options.<\/p>\n \u201cI went with the combination of Landry and Deuce as the backup point guards,\u201d Brown said<\/a>. \u201cWe got those two guys out there and want to take a look at that.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike Brown Signals Shift in Knicks Guard Rotation<\/p>\n Brown\u2019s comments suggest the Knicks are adjusting their guard rotation as players get healthy.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, Deuce is getting healthier<\/a>, and Landry is getting healthy<\/a>,\u201d Brown said. \u201cTrying to find minutes for those guys\u2026 is going to be a priority for me, because they\u2019ve proven themselves this year for us.\u201d<\/p>\n With McBride and Shamet returning to full strength, the Knicks have more depth in the backcourt, creating added competition for minutes.<\/p>\n Jose Alvarado Sees Limited Opportunity in Blowout Win<\/p>\n The change was evident in Friday\u2019s game, where Alvarado did not enter until the fourth quarter after the Knicks had already built a large lead.<\/p>\n New York opened with a 20-1 run and led by 37 points at halftime \u2014 the largest halftime lead in franchise history \u2014 allowing Brown to go deep into his bench late in the game.<\/p>\n Alvarado played the entire fourth quarter, finishing with two points, four assists and three steals against Chicago\u2019s reserve-heavy lineup.<\/p>\n Alvarado\u2019s Production Highlighted Earlier Role GettyJose Alvarado of the New York Knicks reacts to shooting a three-point basket during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets<\/a> at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n Before Friday\u2019s win, Alvarado averaged 6.2 points, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 16.4 minutes per game across his first 25 appearances with the Knicks.<\/p>\n He made a notable impact<\/a> in February during a comeback victory over the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n Trailing by 18 points entering the fourth quarter, the Knicks turned to Alvarado, who helped change the pace and defensive energy.<\/p>\n He recorded five points, three assists and three steals during a stretch that fueled a 14-2 run, cutting the deficit to two points.<\/p>\n Alvarado\u2019s defensive pressure led to consecutive steals that resulted in transition baskets, helping tie the game at 103-103 late in regulation.<\/p>\n Knicks Fan Favorite\u2019s Strong Showing in Spot Start vs Pacers<\/p>\n Alvarado also delivered in a spot start<\/a> against the Indiana Pacers<\/a> in March when Jalen Brunson<\/a> was unavailable.<\/p>\n He finished with 16 points, 10 assists and a +21 rating, recording a double-double while shooting 5-of-10 from the field, including four 3-pointers.<\/p>\n The performance earned him Defensive Player of the Game honors and reinforced his role during a stretch when the Knicks were managing injuries.<\/p>\n Knicks Clinch Third Straight 50-Win Season<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s victory secured the Knicks\u2019 third consecutive 50-win season, the franchise\u2019s first such run since 1991\u201395.<\/p>\n OG Anunoby<\/a> led the scoring with 31 points, while Brunson added 17 points and 10 assists. Mitchell Robinson<\/a> contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds.<\/p>\n The Knicks have gone 9-0 against teams below .500 since the start of March.<\/p>\n Rotation Decisions Taking Shape Ahead of Playoffs<\/p>\n As the Knicks approach the postseason, improved health across the roster has created more competition in the backcourt.<\/p>\n Brown acknowledged Alvarado\u2019s contributions during a stretch when the team lacked available guards.<\/p>\n \u201cJose\u2019s done a fantastic job for us,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t had a lot of healthy guards, and Jose stepped in and did a nice job.\u201d<\/p>\n Role Uncertainty Emerges for Fan Favorite<\/p>\n With McBride and Shamet now available, the Knicks appear to be leaning toward different guard combinations.<\/p>\n As the team continues to evaluate its rotation ahead of the playoffs, Alvarado\u2019s role remains uncertain.<\/p>\n For now, the Knicks are prioritizing lineup decisions based on health and performance, with minutes in the backcourt becoming more competitive late in the season.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Knicks\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Mike Brown speaks after a Knicks game as rotation decisions raise questions about a fan favorite guard.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":698348,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3768],"tags":[7,304,6,1136,191,3810,3806],"class_list":{"0":"post-698347","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york-knicks","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-knicks","10":"tag-nba","11":"tag-new-york","12":"tag-new-york-knicks","13":"tag-newyork","14":"tag-newyorkknicks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116348213189654733","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698347","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698347"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698347\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Jose](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2262892093-e1771783108189.jpg\")
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