Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is in the midst of a career year in almost every conceivable way. He's currently setting career-best marks in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and three-point field goals made per game, as well as field goal and free throw percentage.
Though Alexander-Walker deserves praise for his numbers, there's more to his success than increased statistics. He's effectively become the poster child for the importance of fit.
Alexander-Walker experienced a career breakthrough during his two-and-a-half seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He emerged as one of the most important players on a Timberwolves side that made consecutive Conference Finals appearances, with his scoring and defense playing pivotal roles in their success.
For as well as he played in Minnesota, no one expected him to make the type of leap he's managed during the 2025-26 season in Atlanta.
Alexander-Walker has increased his production from 9.4 to 20.4 points, 2.7 to 3.7 assists, 0.6 to 1.3 steals, and 1.7 to 3.1 three-point field goals made per game. He's also improved his shooting percentages from 43.8 to 45.0 from the field, 38.1 to 39.0 from three, and 78.0 to 90.1 at the free throw line.
Though he was already a net positive type of player on a winning team, Alexander-Walker's leap to borderline star status is directly attributable to the nature of his new role.
Volume scorers and pure shooters need different conditions to thrive
Alexander-Walker hasn't made drastic changes to the way that he plays from one season to the next in terms of which spots he prefers to get to or the shots he takes. Instead, he's simply been positioned in a role that asks him to do more of what he was already doing.
Though that may seem like a formula for increasing any player's general production, Alexander-Walker's increase in efficiency is the key talking point here.
Alexander-Walker was a volume scorer in college who averaged 16.2 points on .474/.374/.778 shooting during his final season at Virginia Tech. He shot 38.3 percent between his two collegiate campaigns, thus offering promise that he could shoot at a high level in the NBA.
There's a significant difference between a scorer and a pure shooter, however, and Alexander-Walker is far closer to the former than the latter.
Hawks have simply emphasized Nickeil Alexander-Walker's strengths
For pure shooters, all it takes is one shot going down for the best of the best to get into a rhythm that can last an entire game. It's a phenomenon that's taken hold across the entirety of NBA history. Scorers, however, tend to need more flexibility in the role they're given and the shots they're provided with.
Said players tend to need the opportunity to dribble the ball more frequently and attempt shots from various areas of the court before they can truly figure out how their night is going to go.
Atlanta seems to have realized that, as it's increased Alexander-Walker's involvement from play to play and inevitably helped him create a surge in efficiency. His usage rate, for instance, has increased from 15.5 in 2024-25 to 23.1 in 2025-26.
Alexander-Walker is also averaging 28.9 frontcourt touches per game in 2025-26 compared to19.8 in 2024-25, and has increased his average time of possession from 2.5 minutes per game to 3.3.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker proof more offense doesn't mean less defense
The obvious concern that many have with increasing a high-level defender's offensive usage is that a role change could negatively impact their defense. Alexander-Walker, however, has continued to be one of the best and most assertive defenders in the NBA.
According to Basketball Index, Alexander ranks No. 3 in the NBA in ball screen navigation and places in the 93rd percentile in perimeter isolation defense and the 91st percentile in off-ball chaser defense.
There's no hard and steady rule for increasing offensive output without damaging defensive quality, of course, but Atlanta has proven how important it is to take chances. Giving a low-volume offensive player more opportunities on the ball doesn't have to equate to losing the essence of who they are as a two-way player if their role is fairly balanced.
Alexander-Walker and the Hawks should thus be a lesson in how to maximize the value of a player by equipping them with a role that suits all parties involved.