Can positive injury news ever be a bad thing? No. But can the timing present unique challenges? Undoubtedly.

Head coach Mike Brown and the New York Knicks will face such a challenge in their next matchup with the Brooklyn Nets.

Because according to the NBA’s latest injury report, Jose Alvarado has been upgraded to “questionable” after being out four games with an ankle sprain.

The good news? New York is another man up in a season that’s been tumultuous to start with two wins and four losses. The bad news? Tyler Kolek’s role is in jeopardy.

Kolek has been a steadying force

Not enough can be said for Kolek, who was plugged into Brown’s rotation following Alvarado’s ankle sprain on October 23.

He’s shined in the four games since, averaging 6.3 assists and tallying only two turnovers total as the team’s sixth man.

According to NBA.com, Kolek is the NBA’s leader in assists amongst players who’ve logged less than 100 minutes on the season, while only playing 57.

Fadeaway has the Knicks’ offensive rating at 117.2 when he’s on the hardwood, as opposed to 108.9 when he’s off, despite him only logging a 12% usage rate.

Kolek doesn’t need the ball for more than a few seconds at a time, and that’s where his value reaches immeasurable tiers.

Only six players in the NBA are posting an assist rate over 40 while playing in at least 10 minutes per game:

  • Kolek
  • Isaiah Collier
  • Trae Young
  • Tyrese Haliburton
  • Paolo Banchero
  • Malik Monk

Kolek leads them in every advanced passing statistic except for usage rate. In short: he’s making chicken salad for an entire team with one chicken wing. He’s not a floor general, he’s a floor raiser.

New York’s head coach hit it on the head with another baseball analogy ahead of Friday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers:

“He’s (Kolek) more than capable of playmaking the way he’s doing and he’s doing it in a way that’s simple because he’s not trying to make a homerun pass all the time to get a guy an assist,” Brown told reporters on October 30. “He’s doing it within the framework of our offense, and that just adds to his feel and intelligence and craft at that position.”

So why wasn’t he playing this entire time?

Alvarado’s intangibles

Defensive metrics will always argue against Kolek seeing playing time, irregardless of the fact that New York is +6.5 with him on the floor over his three career seasons.

Alvarado, in a smaller frame, provides a bigger defender for the Knicks; not physically, but in physicality and prowess.

We’re all familiar with his trademark Grand Theft Alvarado steals in the backcourt.

That skill alone can keep ball handlers on their toes, adding another unwanted element to game planning on offense.

It’s a limited sample as Alvarado’s played only two games, but Fadeway says the Knicks’ defense holds opponents to 54.7% true shooting when he’s on the floor. That’s a 5% improvement over Kolek’s minutes.

Alvarado’s no different on offense, where he runs and guns until the buzzer sounds. His chemistry with Towns has always been a feather in his hat. And there’s an argument that he should play more next to Brunson.

Dating back to last season, New York outscores opponents by 15.4 points per 100 possessions in 116 minutes when the two guards share the floor. And that’s while allowing just 103.4 points per 100, well below the league average.

Alvarado is an agent of chaos. Kolek is the calming presence. There’s a time and place for both guards. But working out a rotation that features them both seems arduous.

Monday night is shaping up to be Mike Brown’s first test. Will he ride the hot hand, or go back to his guy? Tip-off against the Nets is scheduled for 7:30 pm EST.