Despite standing a mere 6'5, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has proven himself as one of the best 1 through 5 defenders in the entire league.
While his skills defending guards on the perimeter are well known by now, what fans may not readily recognize is his numbers when backed into the post.
Amongst all players posting at least 20 total post-up possessions as the primary defender, Nickeil is currently allowing a league-low 0.52 points per possession. Rivaled only by Cason Wallace (0.56 PPP), these two are far and away the best post-up defenders in the league, with Nic Claxton (0.65 PPP) and Evan Mobley (0.67 PPP) being the only two other players boasting a metric below 0.74 PPP.
No doubt, the small sample size plays a part in generating this number. That being said, when you're in the company of two of the best rim protectors in the league in Claxton and Mobley, you know you're doing something right, even if the numbers are slightly skewed.
With that qualifier in mind, if you've watched enough Hawks games this year, you know that NAW has a special ability – no matter where he is on defense – to disrupt any given offensive action with active hands.
Youth basketball coaches across the world have tried to instill the phrase "active hands" into their players for quite some time. Unfortunately, the NBA seems to have drifted away from foundational defensive principles in recent years, rewarding foul-baiting and flopping instead.
Alexander-Walker is living proof that this theory isn't dead, though – there is absolutely still a place for savvy defenders who know how to get their hands into the cookie jar without committing a foul. Thanks to this skill and more, NAW is establishing himself as the creme de la creme of role players.
NAW is making a serious argument for the title of best value contract in the NBA
Earning a mere $15M/yr until at least the 2027-2028 season ($16M player option in 2028-2029), Alexander-Walker is making GM Onsi Saleh look like an absolute genius. When Saleh made the call to sign the elite 3&D guard to such a deal this offseason, it was already looked at as a team-friendly deal. Now that he's played his way into 6th Man of the Year conversations, it's appearing more like highway robbery.
Very few other players provide as much value-per-dollar as Nickeil does. Sure, the rookie contract-bound talents like Victor Wembanyama ($12M/yr), Cooper Flagg ($15M/yr), and Amen Thompson ($10M/yr) are unquestionably amongst the best value deals out there, but these are a given when signing young talent straight out of the draft.
GMs around the league have a much more difficult time signing players to team-friendly deals in free agency. Too often, you see players getting thrown exorbitant sums of money simply to sell tickets, fill out the books, or act as a last-ditch effort to remain relevant. In a world where NBA free agents are typically criminally overpaid, NAW's contract stands out as a beautiful outlier.
Onsi Saleh should be very secure as the Hawks' GM for the future – not many would be able to boast as many positive moves as he has in such a short time. While trading Trae may have left a sour taste for many fans, history will look kindly upon Saleh if he keeps making moves like the signing of Alexander-Walker or the acquisition of the ever-salivating New Orleans pick.