Knicks: Who Will Be Benched When McBride Returns?

New York Knicks guard Miles McBride has been out since late January after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. Now, with only eight games remaining before the playoffs, his return is imminent.

His return means that someone currently in the rotation will have to give up their spot, a tough decision given the team's depth. McBride's return will give the Knicks their top bench scorer and one of their best on-ball defenders back.

This poses a challenge for the coach and the team in general, as they will have to decide how to integrate McBride without affecting the team's performance.

Jose Alvarado, who has essentially taken McBride’s spot in the rotation, has shown a drop in his production in recent games. In his last 10 games, he is averaging only 3.4 points and is shooting 36% from the field.

In Thursday’s loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Alvarado was benched in the second half, favoring Tyler Kolek after playing five minutes in the first half without recording any stats. After showing aggression on both ends of the court after his arrival at the trade deadline, Alvarado has become passive on offense and gets into foul trouble on the other end.

The re-emergence of Jordan Clarkson has created a logjam of guards in the second unit alongside Alvarado and Landry Shamet, who has proven to be an impactful defender and three-point shooter all season long.

Mohamed Diawara has been in and out of the rotation in recent weeks, thanks to Clarkson’s resurgence. While the Knicks could use his size in spurts in the playoffs, it’s unlikely they will rely on the rookie to play significant minutes in a postseason setting.

Alvarado could become more situational during the playoffs, as they could still use his intensity in certain situations. However, the Knicks are chasing a title, so they need to play with their most reliable options at all times to reach that ultimate goal.

Getting McBride back will be huge for the team, and his energy off the bench will certainly provide a spark to a team that needs it.