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DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Atlanta Hawks calls out to his team during the third quarter of the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Can you still be underrated even after winning a major NBA award?
When it comes to Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the league’s reigning Most Improved Player, the answer might be yes.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Named Second-Most Underrated NBA Player
Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker during an NBA game.
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 10: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after a three-point score during the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at State Farm Arena on March 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently named Alexander-Walker as the second-most underrated player in the entire NBA, behind only Boston Celtics big man Neemias Queta.
“Around the Association, there was obvious recognition for the breakout campaign Nickeil Alexander-Walker authored during his first season in Atlanta. By the time it was finished, he had fended off first-time All-Stars Jalen Duren and Deni Avdija to capture the coveted Most Improved Player award,” Buckley wrote.
“But why stop the recognition there? Because maybe that campaign wasn’t the culmination, but rather the start of something really special. . . . Is anybody talking about him as a two-way star or something close to it? Because it kinda seems like we all should.”
This story will be updated.