Steve Popper: Knicks' Jose Alvarado should bring added toughness, intensity

BOSTON -- Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference if he had made it to Detroit in time to suit up for the Knicks on Friday night, but it isn’t hard to imagine how Jose Alvarado might help on nights like that.

The Knicks were humiliated by the Pistons for the second time this season, following up a 31-point loss on Jan. 5 with a 38-point beatdown. That marked the first time a team had beaten the Knicks by at least 30 points in consecutive meetings since the 1986-87 Milwaukee Bucks.

A backup point guard rushing into the roster at the trade deadline might not have made up for what took place Friday, but aside from the absence of two starters, the Knicks were missing the ability to match the speed and toughness of the Pistons. With Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby sitting out and Josh Hart hampered by what the team called a right ankle injury, the Pistons descended on Jalen Brunson with multiple defenders bumping and bruising him.

And as much as a 6-foot backup point guard might not be the toughness the Knicks need, that is a defining characteristic of Alvarado.

“I think he just brings a level of toughness to the team,” Mike Brown said. “His energy is unmatched. What he can do defensively in the full court and in the frontcourt, especially on the ball, on the pick-and-roll and stuff like that.

“We want to play fast, and he’s a guy that we believe would come in and help push the pace and get us into our offense and all that other stuff, because he’s quick. He’s got a low center of gravity, and he’s been around for a while. So, excited to have him.”

Left unsaid is that Alvarado, a Brooklyn-raised son of a boxer, was suspended earlier this season for stepping up to the Suns’ 7-1 Mark Williams and delivering a series of punches.

“I think the level of passion he plays with, obviously, his intensity, both sides of the ball, he can be very helpful,” Brunson said. “We’re very excited . . . We only played a couple of times. Last time he was throwing haymakers, so we didn’t get to play him. One of the things is you always have to be aware where he is at all times.”

Alvarado is expected to make his Knicks debut Sunday afternoon against the Celtics. What the Knicks could really use for a true test is a full roster, not just the newest member. In the first meeting with the Pistons this season, they were missing Hart and were manhandled by Detroit, 121-90. This time Towns, Anunoby and Deuce McBride (who likely is out at least until the playoffs after undergoing a surgical procedure to repair a sports hernia on Friday) were missing in the Knicks’ 118-80 loss.

Towns (laceration above his right eye), Hart and Anunoby (toe) are all questionable for Sunday’s game.

Backup battle

With McBride sidelined, it might have seemed to be another opportunity for  Tyler Kolek, who has had his moments as a key backup this season, but the addition of  Alvarado could cost him time.

“I’m just trying to do the same thing I’ve always been doing,” Kolek said. “Whatever the team needs from me or coaches need from me, I want to get in there and change the pace, get guys the ball. I’m excited to learn from a guy like Jose. Last year, Delon Wright came in at the deadline, and it really helped me. So I’m excited to have another guy who has been in the league that I can learn from.

“There’s always competition in this league. Obviously, Deuce is out for a little bit. We are trying to be a championship-level team. You have to bring in as much talent as you can. I’m going to compete every single day . . . Everyone’s got to compete for minutes. It’s no slight to anybody.”

The road not taken

While the Knicks worked around the edges at the trade deadline, their competition in the Eastern Conference made the road to the conference title a little tougher. Some grades are in order.

Detroit Pistons: The Pistons moved more like the Knicks, filling a backup role with the acquisition of Kevin Huerter (Dario Saric, who also came in the deal, is a likely candidate to be waived). While surrendering Jaden Ivey might be risky, he hasn’t fit in their group yet, and a rental of Huerter could help their lack of shooting (the Knicks might not believe there is a lack of shooting after Friday night) in the postseason. B.

Boston Celtics: The Celtics somehow slashed their tax bill while still filling a glaring need: the offensively skilled center that they had in excess in recent years. Nikola Vucevic is 35 years old and not the player he was, but he still averaged 16.9 points and 9.0 rebounds for Chicago in 48 starts. A.

Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs, understandably, went all in after a frustrating season to this point, breaking up their core by dealing away Darius Garland and also dumping DeAndre Hunter, who was hailed as a big in-season pickup last season. In return, they got James Harden — bigger, healthier and more reliably dangerous offensively — and added a defensive piece in Keon Ellis and a hard-nosed vet in Dennis Schroder. A.

By Steve Popper

steve.popper@newsday.com@StevePopper

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.