Nickeil Alexander-Walker's leap could result in massive honor as Wolves' pain grows

I don't think it's a surprise that Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having a career-best season with the Atlanta Hawks. The former Minnesota Timberwolves wing was always going to have more opportunities in Atlanta. However, it's absolutely surprising that he's been this good.

Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 stocks with 46.6/39.2/85.9 shooting splits. This is an 11-point increase from last season with the Wolves. He also notched his career high of 38 points earlier this season. Over the last three games, Alexander-Walker is averaging 30 points and netting 5.7 3-pointers.

Given Alexander-Walker's insane leap, it's not far-fetched to say that he could win Most Improved Player. I'm not a big fan of handing out awards after 20 games, but right now, Alexander-Walker is clearly in the mix for the MIP award. The competition is steep with Ryan Rollins, Jalen Duren, Deni Avdija, and others, but there's no denying NAW is a worthy candidate thus far.

Seeing Alexander-Walker flourish is bittersweet for Wolves fans. He was a beloved player by Wolves fans, and frankly, he would never reach this level of production in Minnesota. Still, not re-signing him stings extra now.

Alexander-Walker is reaching new heights

It was always clear that Alexander-Walker had a well-rounded skill set. NAW's blend of defense, spot-up shooting, secondary creation, and playmaking made him an essential player during his tenure with the Wolves. Nevertheless, it's shocking that he's reached this level of self-creation. In addition to MIP consideration, if NAW keeps this up, he could receive some All-Star buzz.

Per Databallr, Alexander-Walker is shooting 4.3 rim attempts per game, which ranks in the 95th percentile. He is also shooting 65.1 percent on these shots. Last year, Alexander-Walker averaged just 1.5 shots at the rim. Overall, Alexander-Walker is shooting 7.4 more field goals while increasing his field goal percentage.

The Hawks have been without Trae Young for all but five games of the season, and Alexander-Walker has filled this void wonderfully. He has often operated as the Hawks' point guard during this stretch. Per Cleaning the Glass, NAW has spent 59 percent of the time playing point guard this season, which is a 57 percent increase from last year. In this time, Alexander-Walker posts a plus-8 efficiency differential, which ranks in the 80th percentile.

Maybe things change when Young comes back into the fold, but for now, Alexander-Walker checks all the boxes of a Most Improved Player. I'll admit that a 27-year-old isn't your typical MIP. Regardless, he has made a significant leap in every aspect of his game. Shocking leaps like this should be what the award is about.

The Wolves haven't been able to replace NAW's production

Re-signing Alexander-Walker was always going to be impossible without going into the second tax apron. The Wolves already re-signed Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Minnesota left a final roster spot open to avoid the second apron; NAW earned a four-year $60 million contract, so signing him would have been a massive financial hit.

In hindsight, though, could they have made a subsequent move to make re-signing him possible? Sure, I think so, but that's easier said than done.

The Wolves opted not to make another move to replace NAW, leaning on their young trio of Terrence Shannon Jr., Jaylen Clark, and Rob Dillingham. While all three of these players have earned minutes, none of them have been consistent or impactful enough to fill Alexander-Walker's void.

Minnesota ranks 28th in bench scoring and needs one more consistent rotational player. Perhaps one of the young players will emerge, but for now, it's hard not to miss NAW amid a mediocre 12-8 start. The Wolves lack another secondary playmaker, scorer, and on-ball defender. With how bad their point guard play has been, and Alexander-Walker playing a ton of PG, this wound stings for the Wolves.

Ultimately, while Wolves fans should be happy that Alexander-Walker is having an MIP-caliber season, it's hard not to think about what this team would look like with him still on it.