Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been a revelation in recent weeks for the New Orleans Pelicans, seeing a huge uptick in play brought upon by Lonzo Ball’s absence.
Alexander-Walker stepped into the Pelicans’ starting lineup on March 21 after Ball was sidelined with a hip injury. In the five contests since, he has been a boon for the playoff-chasing Pels, but his improvement goes back to a shift in role that started two games prior to that.
Since March 16, the Virginia Tech product has been employed in a capacity more akin to that of Ball’s this season. Stan Van Gundy’s decision to tweak Alexander-Walker’s use was a shrewd one and, despite the small sample size, looks primed to consolidate the Canadian combo guard as a permanent fixture in New Orleans’ rotation.
In the seven games after the clear shift in Alexander-Walker’s role, he has averaged about 16 points per game and is shooting a scorching 42 percent from three on more than nine attempts per game. Since entering the starting lineup, in particular, Alexander-Walker is yet to shoot less than nine threes on any given night.
That is a massive increase in volume for Alexander-Walker. Prior to this, he only took three and a half threes per night on under 30 percent shooting. Alexander-Walker’s playing time was inconsistent and he was barely scoring over eight points.
It’s evident that the former Hokie should not be relied on as a self-dependent player at this stage of his career. This is only his second year in the NBA and, even then, there are still moments where the speed of the league looks too fast for Alexander-Walker. That’s why a more simplified, co-dependent role looks a much better fit for him.
We can see this by delving a bit further into the threes that Alexander-Walker is putting up. Since his volume in threes generously increased, Alexander-Walker is taking a bit over eight catch-and-shoot threes per game and making them at a 42.4 percent clip. That’s more of those threes than anyone on the Pelicans by a considerable margin and puts him in the range of what Ball has achieved from downtown this season.
Before his hip injury, Ball was shooting around six catch-and-shoot threes per game at a 41 percent clip. Roughly 64 percent of Ball’s shots came from the perimeter, very close to how 65 percent of Alexander-Walker’s shots are threes since mid-March. These are nearly identical offensive roles, with the main difference being that Ball’s facilitating far exceeds that of Alexander-Walker’s.
New Orleans Pelicans: It’s easier with Zion and Ingram
Something that sets the New Orleans Pelicans apart from a lot of NBA teams and is an interesting twist on the modern NBA is how Van Gundy essentially flips his players’ functions.
A lot of teams nowadays will have their 3s and 4s primarily focus on defending and spotting up. The onus is on the guards to both playmake and score.
Think of the Phoenix Suns with Chris Paul and Devin Booker at the guard spots and then the likes of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Jae Crowder on the wings. Another good example is the Portland Trail Blazers, and how Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are used compared to Robert Covington or Derrick Jones Jr.
Instead, the Pels run the offense through their 3 in Brandon Ingram and their 4 in Zion Williamson. The guards are the ones given the responsibility to play robust defense and be prepared for spot-up shots. Broadly speaking, that is what Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe are counted on to do. Now, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also being developed in this role.
This is what a typical three for Alexander-Walker now might look like. Because Williamson commands so much attention, the Mavericks have three defenders looking at him. All Alexander-Walker has to do is stay ready.
Once Williamson sees that everyone on that side of the floor is focused on him, he has the knowhow to make the right pass out to the perimeter. By the time the ball is in Alexander-Walker’s hands, Jalen Brunson is too far away to contest and it’s a clean look at the basket.
This shot against the Celtics is another example of that. Brandon Ingram running the pick-and-roll draws three Boston defenders over, leaving Alexander-Walker relatively unattended to at the top of the arc.
In order to have success with the archetypes that Van Gundy is using, so to speak, it’s crucial that Ingram and Williamson make the right decisions. The good news is that both of them can.
Ingram has really developed as a facilitator since the moment he stepped foot in the NBA on a weak Los Angeles Lakers team, while Williamson’s nous for playmaking has been apparent since his days at Duke—even if it took a while for the Pelicans to tap into it.
New Orleans Pelicans: Looking to the future
It is imperative for the New Orleans Pelicans that Alexander-Walker continues on this upward trajectory for the rest of the season.
Unlike his earlier performances this year, he is showing legitimate consistency right now. He has settled into his new role and is making a great case to be a future starter if either Lonzo Ball or Eric Bledsoe departs.
It’s important to remember that the New Orleans Pelicans have a team option on Alexander-Walker next summer, which they will surely exercise. As I wrote after JJ Redick’s comments calling out the Pelicans’ front office, the best and maybe the only way forward for New Orleans is to truly cement the pieces they already have and make the most of them, such as what is currently happening with Alexander-Walker.
The Pelicans are not an attractive free agent destination. The front office doesn’t have a great reputation around the league. On top of that, the situation in terms of cap space is precarious. What that means is that the Pelicans have more of an obligation to develop their young talent and make good decisions in regards to roster moves than a lot of NBA franchises.
That cross to bear was further accelerated by the arrival of Zion Williamson two drafts ago, as well as the incorporation of Brandon Ingram. Timelines get moved around when you acquire a generational talent as the face of your franchise and the Pelicans need to ensure they don’t let this opportunity slip.