It's hard to discredit anyone claiming acquiring Nickeil Alexander-Walker last summer wasn't Onsi Saleh's best move as Atlanta's lead decision-maker.
Not only is NAW on one of the most wallet-friendly deals in the entire NBA, but he's also proven himself to be genuinely elite in two vital categories - perimeter defense, and corner three-point shooting.
Defense is far less subject to variance, so the question must be asked - how likely is it that Alexander-Walker will continue to see everything fall from the corners this year (and beyond)?
NAW's high-volume, high-efficiency corner 3 vs. league average
Over the last three seasons, Alexander-Walker has attempted 476 corner threes, and converted on a sensational 222 of them (good for 46.6% overall).
That's nearly 8% above league average, or 0.24 points per possession stronger. In a league where mathematics has governed the rise of the pace & space era, NAW is a poster child for success.
Questions of Alexander-Walker's shot being flukey are beginning to disapparate - after all, three seasons certainly seems bulletproof enough to have established himself as a legitimate threat, especially spanning two separate teams playing two very different brands of basketball.
NAW's career arc must continue to build on his elite outside shot
It's fantastic that NAW has been able to develop his jumpshot into becoming one of the very premiere corner three shooters in the entire league. That being said, Father Time is nearly undefeated (see LeBron James), and NAW won't be able to lean on his creme de la creme defensive quickness forever - he turns 28 in a couple weeks.
Given his established elite three ball, I'd argue that Alexander-Walker must have one centralized focus throughout the rest of his career as he continues to age - leaning into his outside shot.
We've seen it time and time again - elite athletes in the NBA are able to extend their career thanks to developing (or maintaining) a red-hot shot from range. Examples include Richard Jefferson in his twilight era with the Cavaliers, Brook Lopez with his Milwaukee run, and even JJ Redick sticking around into his late 30s despite his size and lack of mobility, purely due to his 3-ball.
In an ideal world, the Hawks are able to keep NAW around on a team-friendly deal that spans the next handful of seasons after his current deal expires - and then another after that. I doubt any Hawks fan would be opposed to seeing him retire in the A. In that world, NAW must continue to hone his craft from range, and maintain his status as a deadly long-range threat.
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