Nickeil Alexander-Walker is making a name for himself with the Atlanta Hawks, carrying the team into the thick of the East postseason picture. Former teammates and coaches suggest he found success with the Minnesota Timberwolves because he embraced being a secondary option.
Alexander-Walker’s Offensive Surge
In his first year with the Hawks, Alexander-Walker is proving he’s capable of more. After averaging 9.4 points per game with Minnesota, he has shockingly more than doubled that in Year 7. He averaged 20.1 points per game in the first half of the season, helping the Hawks cope with Trae Young’s absence, and also provided stellar defence.
March has seen Alexander-Walker truly excel. Over the last 22 games, Atlanta has won 18, including a 15-2 record in March. Alexander-Walker’s performance during this period has been a key factor.
Since March 4, Alexander-Walker is averaging 24.4 points per game with a 72.3 true shooting percentage. His company on the leaderboard in this category includes centres who primarily dunk, highlighting Alexander-Walker’s impressive ability to knock down contested pull-up jumpers.
Dominating From Beyond the Arc
More than half of Alexander-Walker’s shots during this stretch have been from beyond the arc, where he’s converting 49.0 percent of his attempts, while also shooting 60.6 percent on 2s. He scored a career-high 41 points in a win over the Orlando Magic and 36 against the New York Knicks in a loss.
Alexander-Walker is creating opportunities both on and off the ball, utilising his size and release to outmanoeuvre defenders. He’s averaging eight 3-point attempts per game in this period, mainly from above the break.
Becoming a Reliable Foul Shooter
Alexander-Walker has quietly improved his free-throw shooting. He shot 78 percent from the line in Minnesota last year. This year, he’s at 90.2 percent for the Hawks and 94.6 percent in his torrid stretch since March 4.
Alexander-Walker might have been the league’s Most Improved Player through the end of February and is arguably the league’s most improved player now.