New Orleans Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker plays the Manu Ginobili role

Nickeil Alexander-Walker showed flashes of the role he could be playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, in their 114-92 preseason win over the Miami Heat

Two nights ago, the New Orleans Pelicans stepped on the court for their first preseason game of the year. If you didn’t get the opportunity to watch that game, all you need is that they trounced a depleted Miami Heat team, winning 114-92.

Even though this was a preseason game, and you can’t extrapolate many big picture ideas about this year’s Pelicans from a game so insignificant, one strategy that the Pelicans did in the game stood out to me. It was their usage of second-year guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

I’ve been high on the young Alexander-Walker ever since the Pelicans drafted him back in 2019, and twice this offseason did I publish a piece focused on his development. Most recently, I wrote about how his development might be a major factor for this Pelicans offense, and after watching the team play their first action of the year, it turns out I was right.

How the New Orleans Pelicans used Nickeil Alexander-Walker against the Miami Heat

What I saw from Alexander-Walker on Monday night, is actually what I envision we’ll see out of him for much of the season. He’ll come off the bench in a variety of scenarios playing both guard positions, and he’ll either lead the team’s second unit or become an added punch with the team’s starters.

That role is commonly known as the “Super-6th Man” role, and the way Nickeil Alexander-Walker played it on Monday was really reminiscent of the guard who made that position famous in Manu Ginobili.

When Alexander-Walker took the floor, he was dynamic and electric. He came out aggressive, driving to the basket early with his dominant left hand. That energy started to spark things for the Pelicans when the game was still close early on. However, the young Alexander-Walker was also versatile enough to allow his teammates Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to handle the ball too.

In those moments, Alexander-Walker took residence beyond the arc and put himself in a great position to get a couple of open 3 point looks when the defense collapsed on the Pelicans stars.  In the end, his stats might not compare to Ingram’s or Williamson’s but Nickeil Alexander-Walker did a great job. He operated Stan Van Gundy’s offense and created good opportunities for the team.

What Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s performance means for the New Orleans Pelicans entering the season

I’m not sure Nickeil Alexander-Walker will always be the first player to come off the bench for the Pelicans, considering there are still two more prominent guards that the team has to work into the rotation, but I do think that Alexander-Walker made the most of his opportunity.

Since he did that, I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue seeing Nickeil Alexander-Walker playing that Swiss-Army Knife role. If he does, that means the Pelicans are in shape to put a lot of unique lineups on the floor that could take advantage of what a defense is running.

Overall, fans should be encouraged by what they saw out of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and continue to keep an eye on him as the regular season begins.