Pelicans: How playing for Team Canada will help Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the New Orleans Pelicans is going to get some valuable experience this summer for Team Canada.

Training camp starts on June 16th and NAW will be one of 14 NBA players who will be there:

Many players have made significant leaps after playing with national teams and Nickeil Alexander-Walker has a good chance to join them.

Playing with Team Canada will get NAW some valuable reps this summer while learning from one of the best coaches in the game.

Here’s how playing for Team Canada should benefit NAW before next season.

Pelicans: Nickeil Alexander-Walker will be coached by Nick Nurse

Nick Nurse will be the head coach of Team Canada, which gives NAW an opportunity to learn from one of the NBA’s best coaches.

This is not a slight on Stan Van Gundy, who had little time to work with his young players due to a shortened offseason and very few practices during the season.

And it never hurts to have additional help. NAW will be one of the best players on the Canadian team and will get plenty of one-on-one instruction on his game.

Nick Nurse’s offense will benefit Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Team Canada won’t really have a true point guard, so NAW is probably going to be doing a lot of ball handling in Nick Nurse’s system.

Although NAW is not a true point guard either, he is a good playmaker and should gain more confidence handling the ball for Team Canada.

He will be allowed to be creative with the ball and should thrive in Nick Nurse’s system, which is more of a read-and-react offense that should help NAW improve his ball handling and playmaking.

This experience should be beneficial to NAW, who will look to take on a starting role next season and will hopefully come back with some new skills and more confidence.