Amidst the Atlanta Hawks' historic late-season turnaround, several individual storylines worthy of serious discussion have emerged. Everyone's talking about Dyson Daniels getting his three-ball back, and there's been no shortage of chatter regarding Jalen Johnson's leap into All-NBA territory. There is one story, however, that's mostly gone overlooked: Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
The rise of Nickeil Alexander-Walker needs to be studied. Seriously, this guy's transformed his reputation from a quality role player into a star. A star. There's no denying it now. His career year has reshaped the identity of this Hawks team, leading them from the middle of the pack to a likely playoff appearance.
In fact, after Monday night's home victory over the Boston Celtics, a key Hawks starter shed some light on the situation, showing love to his veteran guard in the most impactful way.
Okongwu: "I think Nickeil should win Most Improved. He deserves it."
— Zach Langley (@ZachLangleyNBA) March 31, 2026
"I think Nickeil should win Most Improved," Okongwu shared in his postgame media availability. "He deserves it. He's a big reason why we are where we are right now."
Onyeka Okongwu didn't shy away from his stance on NAW's award case.
If anyone knows anything about improvement, it's OO. He's taken countless leaps of his own in key aspects of his game. Not only has his three-ball developed into one of the most elite of any big man, but he's grown remarkably as a playmaker and inside scorer.
On the season, NAW is averaging 20.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, all of which are career-highs. Last season, as a role player for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he put up just over nine points per contest.
That leap, full stop, makes him undoubtedly deserving of a highly touted end-of-season award. Most Improved Player. While he'll likely choose to take the humble route and not advocate for his candidacy, that won't stop his teammates from chiming in on the matter.
This co-sign from Okongwu is no small feat. Especially as the regular season comes to a close, every endorsement matters. If NAW decides to advocate for himself after an upcoming matchup, it could be all he needs for that final push.
It's rare to see a franchise have a different player rewarded with a prestigious award two seasons in a row. Last year, Atlanta's own Dyson Daniels won Most Improved Player himself. He deserved it then, and Nickeil deserves it now.
The Hawks have won 17 of their last 20 games, and if they want to continue on this impressive trend, they'll need Nickeil Alexander-Walker to finish his breakout seventh campaign strong.