The Atlanta Hawks unofficially announced newcomer Nickeil Alexander-Walker as their leader in a video posted on social media.
Each player was asked who on the team would be their emergency contact. While some players, such as Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis, were skeptical that any of their teammates were cut out for the task, a clear consensus formed. Alexander-Walker is the player the team trusts the most.
Five players named NAW as their emergency contact: McCollum, Okongwu, Wallace, Daniels, and Newell. The only other player to earn multiple votes was Keaton Wallace, who was nominated by Alexander-Walker and Jalen Johnson.
Alexander-Walker was the perfect “veteran” addition for this team
When Atlanta signed Alexander-Walker, it was universally applauded as a solid move. The team took advantage of a free agent class where most teams were short of cash, which helped them get a bargain at 4 years, $60 million.
The move appeared straightforward at the time. Alexander-Walker was the sixth man on a Minnesota team that made consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances. While he had little juice off the bounce, he was the ideal 3&D wing to support a player like Trae Young or Johnson.
The former Virginia Tech Hokie surprised everyone this season when he blossomed as an on-ball scorer. While he isn’t exactly consistent in this regard, he’s shown flashes of incredible development that could be refined into a truly elite player with additional reps.
The deal was lauded as the best free-agent signing when it occurred and has only continued to garner praise as Alexander-Walker has thrived. Now that the newcomer has already established himself as the team’s most trustworthy character, the move could become the best in franchise history.
Alexander-Walker is the ultimate good influence. He constantly wears a smile and is thoughtful when speaking, as evidenced by the pauses he takes to think when fielding questions from the press. He’s been in just about every situation in the league during his relatively short career, first struggling to survive in the NBA on the “cursed” Pelicans. He then briefly established himself on a decent Jazz team before being shipped to Minnesota, which was a contender during his tenure.
NAW has seen it all. He’s been at the bottom of a poorly-run organization. He’s been a key player in a well-run organization that achieved real playoff success. His leadership should come as no surprise, but Hawks fans can only be thankful for this development.
As an aside, Mo Gueye and Zaccharie Risacher’s friendship is as strong as ever, and both players nominated each other as their emergency contact. Gueye called Risacher his “little boy,” while the French former top pick opted for the more polite wording of “little brother” in reference to his fellow forward. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two players have an incredible net rating when they share the floor. As the New York Knicks fans like to say, "the power of friendship" can be have a real on-court impact.