How Nickeil Alexander-Walker redefined his career in Minnesota

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has quickly become a fan favorite while playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, largely due to his intensity and impact on the defensive end. Despite not being one of the high-profile names on the roster, anyone who regularly tunes into Wolves games understands just how much “NAW” contributes to winning. 

Alexander-Walker was taken with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, although the Virginia Tech product never donned the black and white. NAW was quickly traded to the Atlanta Hawks, then the New Orleans Pelicans, where he signed his rookie contract. 

Joining a team with guards like Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday starting, NAW didn't have the pressure of being a starting-caliber player in his rookie season. This looked like an ideal situation: a team building around their young core for future success, yet still had veteran players to aid the development of the young guys. 

The first few years of his career went somewhat to plan. NAW had an expectedly quiet rookie year, only averaging 5.7 points, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 rebounds on poor 37/35/68% shooting splits.

Living up to expectations 

In his sophomore year, he started to develop into the player forecasted by NBA scouts, much to the delight of Pelicans fans. Throughout this season he averaged 11 points, 2.2 assists, and 3.1 rebounds with improved splits of 42/35/73%.

NAW showed signs of embracing a bigger role at the tail end of the 2020-21 season when he stepped in as a starter following the All-Star break. Through 13 games in the starting lineup, the Canadian native saw an uptick in his numbers, dishing out 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. 

Unfortunately for NAW, the 2021-22 season didn’t play out how he and Pelicans fans would've hoped. Although seeing a career-high in minutes this season at 26.3 per game and putting up similar counting stats, the youngster saw a significant step back in his efficiency. With 38/31/72 splits, Alexander-Walker's future as a core piece of the Pelicans was uncertain.

At this time the front office might have already thought they could replace the young players' production through the upcoming draft, as a myriad of first-year guards had already joined the team, including Jose Alvarado, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones, all regular rotation players to this day. 

A shift in belief

NAW was quickly introduced to the business side of the NBA, being dealt to the Utah Jazz right before the trade deadline of the 2021-22 season. The deal was a three-team trade involving the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, and it sent an assortment of role players to new franchises. 

Alexander-Walker never truly looked settled in Utah, as reportedly the young guard struggled to find his role following high expectations in New Orleans. NAW couldn't establish consistency within a young rebuilding team, despite it seemingly being a good scenario. 

On the bright side, this is when he seemed to embrace being a three-and-D player, as he improved both these aspects of his game. Throughout his time in Salt Lake City, he saw averages of 5.5 points,1.8 assists, and 1.6 rebounds on 45/38/75 splits. 

NAW played 51 games in a Jazz uniform before being traded to the Timberwolves. He was considered nothing more than a throw-in as a part of the trade that brought beloved point guard Mike Conley to Minnesota. Despite some growing pains in 2022-23, NAW quickly endeared himself to the Minnesota faithful the following season with his tenacity on defense and ability to hit timely threes. 

A fresh start in Minnesota

The Wolves became one of the best defenses in the league in 2023-24, a large reason why they made it to the Western Conference Finals. Most will think this can be attributed to Rudy Gobert, and rightfully so, but Minnesota's drop coverage scheme wouldn't work without capable perimeter defenders on the team.  

Jaden McDaniels is a standout in that regard, Anthony Edwards is a great on-ball defender, but at times Alexander-Walker looked like the best perimeter defender on the team. The eye test is where you'll see the most, but NAW had a 1.8 DBPM last season, the second best of any player on the team who has played 300 or more minutes, behind only Kyle Anderson. 

Nickeil isn't someone who should be relied upon as a primary source of offense but is capable of stepping up at times as a spark off the bench. With the improvement of his three-ball, the ability to turn defense into offense, and the occasional crafty move into a finish at the rim, NAW is no slouch as a complementary weapon. 

The Toronto native has quietly established himself as a top-tier role player built for the modern NBA. The Timberwolves have expectations of a championship this year, and Alexander-Walker will be a key cog on one of the best teams in the league.