Pelicans’ Jose Alvarado explains origin of his sneak attack steal
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New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado became a fan favorite this season among basketball fans, and much of that can be attributed to several of his infamous “sneak attack” steals.
Alvarado would often hide on the court when opposing teams were set to inbound the ball. Once that team started to bring the ball up the court, Alvarado would race over from seemingly nowhere and catch them off guard to force the backcourt steal.
The undrafted guard continued to fool teams throughout the season, including in the postseason versus the Phoenix Suns. He eventually got Chris Paul in that series, even though the Suns’ vets successfully snuffed it out on one play.
The move by Alvarado only made headlines this season, but the 24-year-old has been doing it since playing in AAU. He explained to JJ Redick and Tommy Alter on the “Old Man & the Three” podcast when it first started.
I started doing it in AAU basketball. When I did it, I said in my head: ‘This could really work.’ I was doing it when we were down three in AAU and needed a stop. My coach was so cool with me, he was like my big brother, and said: ‘This better work!’ Every time I played in high school or college, those coaches would tell me to stop doing that. I was stubborn and didn’t listen to them.
Fun chatting with @AlvaradoJose15 today. This is him on the origins of his baseline “sneak attack”. pic.twitter.com/jfwbhpSFmS
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) May 11, 2022
Alvarado proved to be quite the thief this season, totaling 71 steals in 54 games. He finished fourth in total steals among all first-year players in just 834 total minutes. In comparison, teammate Herb Jones, who led the class with 130 steals, logged 2,335 minutes.
He became a bit of a household name during the Pelicans’ run in the postseason and earned plenty of praise from fans given his infectious playing style. Alvarado even made a recent guest appearance on “Inside the NBA” on TNT.
Alvarado, who started off the year on a two-way contract, parlayed his success this season into a long-term contract with the Pelicans. So, opposing teams now need to be on high alert for his patented sneak attack for the time being.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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