Ask an NBA fan about Jose Alvarado, and chances are high the very first thing they bring about up is his protection.
And for good cause. The Puerto Rican guard who’s generously listed at 6-feet tall has made a reputation for himself within the basketball world over the previous half decade as one of many sports activities’ preeminent pests. He was named the 2021 ACC Defensive Participant of the 12 months whereas enjoying at Georgia Tech, and he burst onto the NBA scene in 2022 with a trademark defensive transfer that has likewise develop into his official nickname — Grand Theft Alvarado.
Solely T.J. McConnell and his backcourt inbounds cross steals rival Alvarado within the pure annoyance he causes the opponent.
New Orleans rightfully rewarded Alvarado with a brand new contract earlier than the 2024-25 season began, inking the previous undrafted free agent to a two-year, $9 million extension. A meager deal by the lofty requirements of the NBA, however life-changing cash all the identical.
However what if I advised you that the offensive worth Alvarado brings to the Pelicans is severely underrated, whereas the great he brings on protection might be a tad overhyped?
It looks as if a bold-faced lie on the floor, given his profession averages of seven.5 factors, 2.7 assists, and 34.2 p.c three-point taking pictures, mixed together with his ending within the 91st percentile of Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus final season. Nevertheless it makes extra sense whenever you study the fundamental circumstances surrounding Alvarado. NBA gamers who stand under 6-feet aren’t signed for his or her protection, the scale discrepancy is just too huge to beat. It’s a significant testomony to Alvarado’s talent that he averages out to a internet impartial defender, moderately than being a traditionally unhealthy defender like a lot of the 5’9 to five’11 gamers within the annals of basketball historical past.
Alvarado’s steals are enjoyable and extremely beneficial swings in every recreation, however he nonetheless provides loads of that worth again, particularly in how opponents can shoot over him with out a lot resistance. The Thunder discovered ample success within the playoffs attacking Alvarado with Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, two jumbo ball handlers who may simply rise over him for a jumper at any time. His shot contests simply don’t hassle gamers who’re considerably taller than him.
(In equity, Alvarado additionally struggled on the offensive finish of the ground in that sequence, taking pictures 1-for-14 from three over the four-game sweep. He’s had a variety of wonderful moments in his profession. Final postseason was not one in every of them.)
What Alvarado brings on offense is an insertion of juice and verve that New Orleans can severely lack when he’s not on the court docket. Except Zion Williamson has it rolling, the Pels get stagnant, with a variety of dribbling and meandering into inefficient pictures. Alvarado makes use of his 18 minutes every recreation to persistently collapse the protection and assault with function. He hunts for prime worth assists early and infrequently, particularly within the choose and roll, utilizing every kind of tough footwork and up fakes to create layups and dunks for his teammates.
It’s one factor to get an help for simply swinging the ball to an open teammate who cans a jumper. It’s one other to maneuver defenders a lot that your cross primarily creates a assured two factors to your offense.
In his profession, Alvarado’s assists outweigh his turnovers 455 to 161, good for a sterling 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Taking pictures is usually considered essentially the most simply moveable talent in basketball — in the event you can hit an open three, you possibly can play subsequent to some other participant in any offensive setting. However defenses are smarter than they had been 10 years in the past. They know the best way to punish gamers who rely solely on taking pictures and might’t assault or create off the dribble in a significant manner, working them off the three-point line and daring them to make choices.
Good resolution making and the power to create off the dribble is the precise talent that the majority simply matches into any offense in 2024, and it’s what Alvarado does finest. Whether or not it’s creating the preliminary benefit himself, or sustaining a bonus created by a star like Williamson, the Pelicans can belief that each time the ball hits Alvarado’s fingers, he’s going to do one thing productive and useful with it. He doesn’t waste time dribbling into a nasty shot, or hesitate with an indecisiveness that kills the circulate of the offense. Quite, he can shoot at an appropriate clip from distance, or prob together with his dribble till he finds an open teammate in a fair higher place to attain.
Simply check out his shot chart from final season. Of the 345 discipline targets he tried, solely 16 got here from the mid-range. Each different shot he took was a 3 or an try within the paint. The accuracy comes and goes, however for a Pelicans workforce that’s stuffed with mid-range operators, Alvarado’s dedication to make each shot a layup or a 3 blends properly.
Alvarado particularly delights within the artwork of transition threes, pulling up from deep earlier than the protection is about and hitting them with a dagger. It’s philosophically aligned with the way in which he performs protection. Each time he hides himself behind some extent guard initiating the offense, he’s taking an enormous gamble, betting that the potential payoff of him getting a shock steal outweighs the defensive hurt that would come from him trailing the play.
Likewise, some basketball watchers is likely to be against taking pictures pull-up threes so early within the shot clock, notably when the offense may need a numbers benefit. However Alvarado sees the profit to his strategic risk-taking. He swings video games together with his excessive leverage sequences on each ends of the ground, and ultimately it pays off to make him a particularly beneficial participant.
As his extension and modest enjoying time recommend, Alvarado remains to be removed from an ideal participant. His at-rim ending numbers aren’t good, as is the case for each 6-foot-and-under participant in NBA historical past not named Allen Iverson. Whereas he improved as a shooter to the purpose that he made 37% of his threes final season, he’s nonetheless susceptible to an occasional chilly streak, and at occasions a participant opposing defenses will assist off of. And as mentioned earlier than on his personal protection, the Grand Theft Alvarado steals assist elevate him out of the legal responsibility zone, however don’t transfer him into the echelon of the elite. Generally he makes an incredible learn and nabs a steal. Different occasions he will get switch-hunted and scored on simply. It’s a give and take.
However time and time once more, he’s born out to be an enormous optimistic for the Pelicans. In every of the final three seasons, New Orleans’ lineups that embrace Alvarado have outscored opponents by not less than 3.5 factors per 100 possessions, and in 2023-24, lineups with Alvarado had an astounding Internet score of +11.4 factors per 100 possessions, per Cleansing The Glass.
His vitality and burst infect everybody round him each time he fits up, not simply on protection, however on offense the place he kicks the workforce’s motion into first gear and ruthlessly hunts out environment friendly seems to be for himself and others. Subsequent time you discuss Jose Alvarado, don’t simply point out his protection. As a result of it’s his offense that secretly makes him pretty much as good as he’s.
