The Atlanta Hawks were one of the busier teams in the league during the offseason, as they made it a priority to add talent in areas that were needed. On the first day of free agency, the Hawks made a sign-and-trade
deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves for Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and it was obvious that he was one of their key targets from the start. Come to find out, Trae Young played a hand in recruiting Alexander-Walker to the team, and he himself saw a role where he could help.
“I looked at it as there was room in my role where I could come in, be the defender when Trae needs one, kind of run the show, get guys involved, playmaker, on and off the ball, and versatility,” Alexander-Walker said on Media Day. “But I also wanted to be in an area where I could contribute to winning.”
Alexander-Walker does know a thing or two about winning, being with the Timberwolves and going to the Western Conference Finals the past two seasons. Though he may not have been the star player on the team,he did provide a lot on both sides of the ball to help them get to where they were.
One of the things to love about Alexander-Walker is his defense, and he provides the point of attack ability that the Hawks want. Dyson Daniels was otherworldly in that role last season, and so was Zaccharie Risacher in his rookie season. Outside of those two, the Hawks didn’t have that many players who could consistently put pressure on the ball, but Alexander-Walker should change that.
When talking about length at the wing position, Alexander-Walker has that, and he can put pressure on the ball, which leads to steals, playing the passing lanes, and other things to affect opposing offenses. He had a career-high 170 deflections last season, and secured over 70% of loose balls, and had the second-highest percentage by any player.
A specilaity that Alexander-Walker also has on defense is navigating ball screens, which is big in a league that uses pick and rolls a lot. Being able to deploy a strong defensive backcourt will do wonders for the Hawks when they have Daniels and Alexander-Walker on the floor at the same time, and that could take the team to a whole new level.
On offense, Alexander-Walker should be considered a true connector on the floor. He’s known for making the extra pass, fitting in where his teammates may have weaknesses, and knocking down the perimeter shot. He made a career-high 141 3-pointers last season, with 125 of them being catch-and-shoot. He also shot 43% on those catch-and-shoot opportunities, which was 10th best in the league. There’s no reason why that number shouldn’t increase, especially with a willing passer like Young.
Being a connector means making the right pass, screening for teammates, cutting, and some of the other things that may not show up in the stat sheet. Alexander-Walker noted that the opportunity in Atlanta could help him grow, and one of the areas they may need him in is being a ball handler when Young is not on the floor.
The Hawks don’t have a traditional backup guard currently on the roster, and that means several players may get then chance to play that role. Alexander-Walker did some of that with the Timberwolves, which gives him enough experience to grow in that role with the Hawks.
With what Alexander-Walker brings to the floor, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was in the closing lineup at times for the Hawks, and his versatility allows Quin Snyder to use him in many different ways.
