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For those unfamiliar with baseball lore, Wally Pipp was a star first baseman for the New York Yankees who lost his job after a headache forced him to sit out a game. A young Lou Gehrig replaced him and embarked on a legendary consecutive-games streak, while Pipp never started again for the Yankees.
In a modern NBA parallel, Jose Alvarado backed up Jalen Brunson in the first two regular-season games before an ankle injury sidelined him for four contests. Despite the six-year veteran returning to full health, second-year guard Tyler Kolek has emerged as the primary backup. However, comparing Kolek to Gehrig would be a stretch.
Injuries are inevitable, and the regular season is a marathon, especially after a deep playoff run to the NBA Finals that extended into June. Head coach Mike Brown maintains an open-minded approach, ensuring everyone gets opportunities and stressing that roles are fluid.
"I try not to take a guy out due to injury. The reality is Jose got hurt. Tyler gave us some good minutes," Brown told SNY last week. "I sat 'em both down. I said, 'Jose, you're our backup because you ended the season as our backup. Both of you gotta be ready; a change can happen at any time.'"
That change appeared to materialize over the weekend in Cleveland, where Kolek logged 14 minutes off the bench and Alvarado received a DNP-CD after two ineffective games back in the rotation. Brown has reiterated that every bench player is competing for minutes, and he's simply going with the hot hand.
In the early stages of his third NBA season, Kolek has impressed as a depth piece. He has dished out 36 assists against just 4 turnovers, leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (9.0). While the 25-year-old needs to look for his shot more, he has proven capable of running an NBA offense and showing he belongs.
Over the summer, Alvarado declined his $4.5 million player option and signed a new three-year, $14-plus million deal to return. Team president Leon Rose made it a priority to retain the Brooklyn native, who played a key role on a historic championship team after being acquired from the Pelicans at the trade deadline.
While Kolek has earned his increased minutes, Alvarado remains very important to the team. The feisty veteran will be deployed in matchups that make sense. At the start of the season, the Knicks' offense was stagnant, and the ball moves more freely with Kolek on the court.
With the Knicks still lacking depth up front and trade pieces, it's fair to wonder if this audition gives Kolek a chance to boost his trade value around the league. His $2.3 million salary has value, plus he has a cheap team option for 2027-28. Despite real evidence that Kolek has the skill set and moxie to stick in the Association, a team would need to be willing to entrust him with running their offense for 20+ minutes a night. That could change as he continues to show growth and teams deal with injuries.
For example, the struggling Charlotte Hornets are lacking point guard depth and will be without their starter for a few weeks. Dennis Schroder was just diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. The Hornets employ two affordable young big men in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Perhaps they could be a trade partner for the Knicks down the line.
It's never a bad thing to have too much depth, and it's a luxury having the Marquette product as a third-stringer. For now, Kolek is the first point guard off the bench. However, that could very well change in the days ahead, and Alvarado is a long way from being Wally Pipped.
Key Analysis
Alvarado's situation underscores the delicate balance NBA coaches must strike between riding hot hands and managing veteran egos. While Kolek's efficiency is undeniable, Alvarado's playoff experience and defensive tenacity will likely be called upon in high-stakes matchups. The Knicks' depth is a luxury, but it also creates playing time dilemmas that Brown must navigate carefully. With trade season approaching, Kolek's performance could make him a valuable asset, but for now, both guards remain integral to New York's aspirations.