Since the rise of Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks have been on the verge of greatness. The main issue holding them back was bench depth, a problem that looks to be solved. The additions of Jose Alvarado and Jeremy Sochan, combined with Mohamed Diawara have changed the Knicks' game.
The Knicks are one of those teams that always seem to be knocking on the door of greatness, yet never quite able to kick it open. With the current Jalen Brunson era has come a new sense of hope, one that fans believe will get their franchise to the promised land for the first time in over five decades.
While New York has a solid starting five, they have struggled with depth. Former head coach Tom Thibodeau was often criticized for running his starters too much, but the Knicks lacked the rotational players to back them up. It was holding the team back, though that finally may have changed.
The Knicks have been making all the right moves this season
At the trade deadline, they moved Guerschon Yabusele to the Bulls for Dalen Terry, then traded Terry to New Orleans for Jose Alvarado. His energy, scoring, and defense off the bench have been a game-changer for the Knicks. Plus, he's averaging 1.7 steals a game, which is huge for New York.
After the trade deadline, Jeremy Sochan became available on the buyout market when he came to terms with the Spurs. The Knicks smartly picked him up, giving him a chance to redefine his career in New York. Given a chance, he'll be a better fit on the Knicks' bench than he was on the Spurs.
Then there's Mohamed Diawara, a rookie power forward out of Paris, France, who has become an absolute dynamo. His hustle and energy cannot be denied. When he gets the minutes, he delivers. Against the Spurs, he collected 14 points, four rebounds, one block, and one steal in 15 minutes.
Building a Knicks' bench for the future
What New York is putting together on the bench has potential. They already had Mitchell Robinson, who is a great backup center for Karl-Anthony Towns as long as he stays healthy. And guys like Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, and Tyler Kolek are all playing good basketball.
New York needed depth, and they have absolutely achieved that. The addition of Diawara, Alvarado, and Sochan gives them more options in how they build their lineups, particularly Alvarado. Having Jose as a backup point guard means that everything doesn't fall apart when Brunson is on the bench.
The Knicks are currently third in the Eastern Conference and are likely heading for the playoffs. These bench updates might not make them contenders this year, but it's progress in the right direction. Fixing this Achilles' heel puts them one step closer to ending their championship drought.