Nickeil Alexander-Walker signed with the Atlanta Hawks last offseason in search of a bigger role. He built a great reputation as one of the top perimeter defenders and screen navigators in the NBA, but he felt there was more to his game than a typical “3 and D” role player.
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder slotted Alexander-Walker into a sixth-man role off the bench to begin the 2025-26 campaign. However, when Trae Young suffered a sprained MCL on Oct. 29, Alexander-Walker stepped into the starting lineup and has thrived ever since. He has certainly put himself in Most Improved Player (MIP) conversations in his career-best season.
Hawks Guard Gunning For 2025-26 Most Improved Player Award
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Unexpectedly Becomes A Legitimate 20-Point Scorer
Alexander-Walker averages 20.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals this season. He put up 9.4 points, 2.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds when he finished sixth in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season. He increased his points per game by 11.2 points, but what might be even more impressive is the efficiency he maintained while shouldering the heaviest offensive load, by far, in his career.
Alexander-Walker carries a 23.9% usage compared to 16.0% in his last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Players commonly experience efficiency drops when they take a big offensive jump. However, Alexander-Walker did not just maintain his 2024-25 43.8% field goal mark; he increased it to 45.3% while taking a career-high 15.2 shots per game this season. The 27-year-old also boasts career bests in 3-pointers made (3.1), attempted (8.0), and percentage (39.4%).
Alexander-Walker did not have the ball in his hands a lot in Minnesota. Most of his scoring opportunities came off catch-and-shoot threes or off-ball cuts to the basket. However, his role completely changed with the Hawks. Snyder entrusts Alexander-Walker as the second on-ball scorer behind All-Star Jalen Johnson. The 17th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft routinely drives downhill and knocks down 3-pointers, keeping defenders honest.
Alexander-Walker Leads Hawks Into Playoff Contention After Incredible Month
Atlanta went 13-2 in March, which included an impressive 11-game win streak. It now sits 45-33 on the season in the fifth seed of the Eastern Conference after spending most of the campaign in the lower play-in seeds. Alexander-Walker played a huge role in turning the Hawks’ campaign around last month after trading Young and Kristaps Porziņģis before the trade deadline.
Alexander-Walker averaged a team-high 22.7 points in March, shooting 528% from the field and 46.8% from downtown. He dropped a career-high 41 points against the Orlando Magic in Atlanta’s 124-112 victory on March 16. The Hawks’ guard added nine triples on 14 attempts and shot 12-of-21 from the field.
Alexander-Walker then followed up that performance with a 32-point night against Orlando to start April. The Hawks swept the Magic 4-0 in the season series in a dominant 130-101 blowout victory. However, Jock Landale suffered a high ankle sprain when Goga Bitadze committed a dirty flagrant 2 foul in the second half. Atlanta announced its backup center will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Landale’s absence likely gives more minutes to Christian Koloko or Mouhamed Gueye behind Onyeka Okongwu.
Alexander-Walker’s incredible March run earned him the top spot for MIP, according to BetUS.
DEVELOPING: Nickeil Alexander-Walker has passed Jalen Duren as the favorite to win Most Improved Player of the Year, per @BetUS_NBA.
🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/h8gPXDRBrp
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 3, 2026
Alexander-Walker’s success has directly led to the Hawks’ massive improvement from last season. Even though MIP is an individual honor, Atlanta’s team success only helps his chances. He looks to give the Hawks back-to-back MIP awards after Dyson Daniels took home the award last season.
Featured Image: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
