As Quin Snyder's upstart Atlanta Hawks navigate the post-Trae Young era and jockey for a spot in the NBA's Eastern Conference play-in tournament, Nickell Alexander-Walker has emerged as an unexpected offensive catalyst. The former Virginia Tech standout has also rewritten the story of his career. Alexander-Walker is no longer just a rotational piece, he's posting amazing statistics that will make even the most optimistic front-office executives do a double take.
The 27-year-old guard is no longer a filler piece hidden on the sidelines. NAW is a primary option, a go-to scorer, and quickly becoming one of the most compelling breakout stories of the NBA season. With career-highs averaging 19.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals, Alexander-Walker is in line for some NBA Most Improved Player votes.
Snyder saw the surge coming, but it all started with trusting him to make the right decisions, even if it meant extra attention.
“As far as playmaking, you know (Alexander-Walker) can get into the lane,” Snyder said. “He's not your typical playmaker, but I think he's unselfish and he's willing to get off the ball when he's guarded.”
Alexander-Walker is also shooting 37.2% from three-point range on 8.2 attempts per game. This amount is almost double with almost the same efficiency despite increase in other responsibilities. Hawks GM Bryson Graham, who was with the New Orleans Pelicans at the time of Alexander-Walker's draft, bet that all the extra shooting work would eventually prove beneficial somewhere.
Snyder said, "I think we saw it early in (Alexander-Walker's) career, and now you can tell where it came from. It's the person he was, the competitor he was. I think at Minnesota, he really established himself as a defender and a knockdown three-point shooter, especially from the corners. We've tried to encourage him to be really aggressive in shooting. Even Even some competitive shots from three, I think, his confidence motivates him."
That's exactly the aggression the Hawks need when navigating the treacherous waters of the play-in race. With the stakes increased in each game, Snyder has found a reliable scoring option that can stretch defenses to their breaking point.
However, what makes Alexander-Walker especially valuable in Snyder's system is his unorthodox approach to playmaking. He's not a traditional point guard who dominates the ball, yet NAW is creating offense in ways that keep defenses off balance. Jalen Johnson appreciates someone else stepping in to ease the offensive load.
As far as Nickeil Alexander-Walker's late 20s trajectory? Well, he arrived in the NBA with a defined skill set, worked to expand it, and now finds himself in a system that actively encourages him to do more. The Hawks took note of Alexander-Walker's best performances and then leveraged him. Shoot the three in dispute. Get down. trust yourself. It's the perfect home for their prime years.
And by almost every measure, they have responded. Whether that translates into a play-in berth or perhaps something else, will define the rest of this season. But Alexander-Walker's success has already answered a question that had been pending for years. What can one become if one has the right environment and the right sound in the ears? The answer, it turns out, is a 20-point scorer on a playoff team.
