The Atlanta Hawks may now have the best defense in the entire NBA.
It shouldn't be too controversial to say after they acquired All-Defensive wing Lu Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Zaccharie Risacher and two second-round picks.
They made massive improvements on that end last season, as they shifted into a new era of Atlanta basketball, but it was far from a finished product. Their inefficiencies on both ends limited them in their pursuit of a first-round advancement.
Adding more talent, as they did this offseason, results in less responsibilities for those who previously carried the most nightly weight. Nickeil Alexander-Walker may benefit from the new additions the most.
NAW is set to have an even more impactful year after his breakout
With his offensive game growing as much as it did last season, it's remarkable that he remained the elite on-ball defender that he was known to be prior to signing with Atlanta.
There's often a trade-off when that leap arrives. There wasn't for Alexander-Walker. That's a pretty solid indicator that he'll be a high-level defender for the bulk of his career, and seemingly just now entering his prime years, he won't be slowing down on either end anytime soon.
Jumping into superstar-level responsibility just a year after being a role player in a different conference can weigh on a player. It hurt NAW in the postseason, where he struggled from the field.
He wasn't shy in his postgame media availability following their humiliating Game Six home defeat, making sure to note that he was "pissed off."
When a player as important to the success of the group as Alexander-Walker is displays frustration, it's only right to make the necessary adjustments in the summer.
The Hawks made those tweaks, and more, as they look to make a significant jump in the standings next season.
NAW won't be alone in trying to limit the NBA's most elite guards
Now, with Dyson Daniels also on the squad, saying that he was ever alone in his defensive attack comes with an asterisk. But, they were used very differently on that end by Head Coach Quin Snyder.
The way they were thrown at elite offensive players - because, yes, it was always one of the two - was matchup-based. Sometimes, Daniels would have to go defend bigs while Alexander-Walker would be tasked with controlling opposing backcourts.
The newly-acquired Lu Dort can defend multiple positions with real ease, similarly to Daniels, and if he can stay healthy, whether on or off the bench, he'll make life much easier for both of them.
Especially Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Add us as a preferred source on Google