‘Real-deal Nickeil:’ Hawks’ Alexander-Walker making the most of bigger role
Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had a lot of fun this season. That joy has translated into putting up a convincing case for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award as he has helped elevate the Hawks to one of their best seasons since 2020-21.
Over 72 games, Alexander-Walker, 27, has averaged 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He has increased his scoring by 11.1 points per game, the third-highest increase from one season to the next in the past 25 seasons, according to the Hawks, via Elias Sports Bureau.
“I always figured that the better player I would be, the better it would be for the team,” Alexander-Walker told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Like, if you can be a better player, ultimately, it’s going to be better for the team.
“So, I always try to align things that were going to be hand in hand, you know what I mean? And I would never sacrifice one for the other, and in this league, you can’t really, because I feel like it’s a league that rewards winning.”
Through Sunday night, the Hawks (42-33) were in sixth place in the Eastern Conference by a half game, with the opportunity to bypass the Play-In Tournament for the first time in four years.
His name coming up in conversations for Most Improved Player has provided some validation for the work Alexander-Walker has done over his career and in the offseason. But Alexander-Walker, who has experienced many of the highs and lows of an NBA career, wants to keep things in perspective as he tries to reach his goal of winning the award.
Quieting inner doubt
Over seven years in the NBA, Alexander-Walker has gone from carving out a role with the New Orleans Pelicans to trying to figure it all out again with the Utah Jazz after a three-team trade.
He ended up in another three-team trade that landed him with the Minnesota Timberwolves, helping them to a trip to the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. His cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, won both league MVP and Finals MVP last season.
“Obviously, when your cousin is the MVP of the league — and there’s a chance to be, say, the back-to-back MVP and make history — like, you kind of feel naturally, like you get drowned out,” Alexander-Walker said. “And that’s not by choice, that’s not by anyone’s doing. It’s just, you know...
“So, then you start to analyze what you do and say, ‘Is it good enough?’ And then I started to realize... I’m losing so much joy in my life. So, I guess it is validating, and I guess it is empowering.
“But the main thing it’s taught me is, this is a goal I had at the beginning of the season, from the summer. So what it’s taught me is if I put my mind to something and I stay in my lane, there’s no telling what I can do.”
‘Ultimate unselfish professional’
Of course, making it to the playoffs was a goal for Alexander-Walker and the Hawks this season, even as they prioritized long-term success over a flash in the pan. Alexander-Walker aims to be a part of those long-term aspirations, having signed a four-year deal that includes a player option in the final year.
Alexander-Walker, who has earned the nickname “Real-Deal Nickeil” from the Hawks 404 FanDuel Crew, knew that when he signed with the Hawks last July, he would have a larger role than with the Timberwolves over the previous seasons. Initially, that role looked like the Toronto native would come off the bench as the Hawks’ sixth man.
But five games into the regular season, an injury to then-Hawks guard Trae Young — who was in a midseason trade to the Wizards — forced the team to pivot. Though Alexander-Walker made his first start in a Hawks uniform Oct. 24, he basically became a regular fixture on Oct. 31, one game after Young’s injury.
“In the summer, a lot of opinions were, ‘You should go somewhere where you’ll start,’” Alexander-Walker said. “And honestly, that was never really on my mind. It was never really, especially with the team that we had.
“I was thinking, ‘Ooh, I get to come off the bench. This is a good opportunity for me because I still have an increased role. I get to lead from the second-unit standpoint. I get to play alongside Dyson (Daniels). We have so many lineups at work.’
“My thought process going into it had nothing to do with starting or not starting. And I think, I’m surprised, but I’m not surprised. Did I expect this season to end like this? No, I didn’t expect that. That wasn’t my prediction. However, if you told me it would happen, I would believe you.”
That mindset was something the Hawks valued as they pursued Alexander-Walker in free agency.
“He is the ultimate unselfish professional that I’ve been around in this league,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh told the AJC. “He just gives it all to the team. Whatever role you ask him, he’s going to do, and he could do more, and he showed us that.”
Playing his role
In doing his role, the Hawks guard has increased his 3-point shooting volume, all while not sacrificing his efficiency from long range. This season, Alexander-Walker has attempted eight 3-pointers per game, roughly 3.5 more tries per contest than last year.
“The opportunities that he’s had with the way that we’re playing, getting out in transition, just see him doing a lot of things, some of which he’s done before, he’s doing even more efficiently,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said. “But I think as a player, he’s improving without sacrificing other parts of this game. He’s been (into) the defender. He’s continued to do that.”
He’s still been able to shoot the ball at a high clip, making 39.1% from deep, all while his usage has increased by 7%, according to Cleaning the Glass. That’s up from 38.1% last season.
A bulk of that shooting efficiency has come in March, where Alexander-Walker has made 47.6% of his three-pointers over 14 games. It comes as a welcome upswing after he made just 31% of his shots from deep across nine games in February.
But it’s not just his perimeter shooting that has taken a leap this season. Alexander-Walker has taken on an even more aggressive mentality when it comes to attacking the rim. Roughly 29% of his shot attempts came within four feet of the basket, a 6% increase from last year, .
“I mean, what, he’s shooting almost 10 threes a game,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Friday. “Whether it’s catch-and-shoot, whether it’s off the dribble, you know, shooting unlocks a lot of the transition.
“He does a great job just getting down. He’s playing really well on both ends of the floor. So, (the Hawks are) a very different team when he’s playing the way that he is playing, and it’s tough.”
Making the jump
The Hawks expected Alexander-Walker would make a leap when he signed with the team. His familiarity with Snyder’s system (they previously worked together in Utah) would aid in a smooth transition. Plus, the Hawks’ pace would allow him to get downhill and with his ambidexterity, he would be able to attack the rim.
But the speed at which he settled in, all while his role shifted, has been a welcome sight for the Hawks.
“I‘d be lying if I said he’d be doing this (when we signed him),” Saleh said. “Honestly, we felt like he would make a jump when he came here, just with a system that Quin runs, and our trust in him, belief in him and we’ve seen it before, and Quin had him early.
“So, he knows it better than anybody. And the thing that was very evident from the get-go is his work ethic.”
The veteran guard, who describes himself as “Type A,” paid close attention to his routine but also leaned on his faith. So, he wouldn’t let a shooting slump impact the rest of his game. He still showed up defensively and he found ways to lift his teammates up.
“I think you need to embrace the good. You need to embrace the bad,” Alexander-Walker said. “And that’s what I’ve been better at this year.”
The NBA typically announces the voting results for winners of the season awards during the playoffs. Last season, the league announced that Daniels won Most Improved Player on May 1.
Whatever the result, those surrounding Alexander-Walker believe that it’s just the beginning for him.
“I think he’s the type of player that he’d like to be in that (MIP) conversation every year,” Snyder joked. “That’s probably not realistic. I don’t know if anybody’s ever won Most Improved Player twice, but if there was a candidate, he’d be the guy.”
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