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For the second year in a row, an Atlanta Hawk is the Most Improved Player in the NBA.
Last season, it was Dyson Daniels. This season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker earned the honor.
“Nickeil’s dedication, continual work on his craft, and the ensuing results this season make him incredibly deserving of this award,” said Hawks coach Quin Snyder. “He has a tireless work ethic and a focus on improving in every aspect of his game. His game continues to evolve, and his commitment and unselfish attitude as a teammate have also positively impacted the success of the team.”
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Alexander-Walker won the award because he grew and thrived in a role that was radically different from any one he had been in before. For the previous two seasons with the Timberwolves, Alexander-Walker came off the bench and was asked to be a defensive stopper and score a little, but it was more of a 3&D role, where he averaged 9.4 points a game. This season, especially as Atlanta moved on from the Trae Young era, Alexander-Walker became a starter with the ball in his hand — and he had the best year of his career in his seventh season in the league, at age 27.
Walker Sset career highs in scoring (20.8 ppg), rebounding (3.4 rpg), assists (3.7 apg), steals (1.31 spg), minutes (33.4 mpg), field goal percentage (45.9%), three-point field goal percentage (39.9%) and free throw percentage (90.2%). Plus, he, along with Daniels, gave Atlanta arguably the best defensive backcourt in the league.
Walker got 66 first-place votes from the panel of 100 media members who voted for the award. Jalen Duren from Detroit was a clear second, with Deni Avdija from Portland third. After those three, there was a pretty steep drop off to Boston’s Neemias Queta at four and Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins at five.
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/atlantas-nickeil-alexander-walker-named-003615948.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-25 00:36:00
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