Initially seen as a throwaway piece in the CJ McCollum to New Orleans trade, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has proven all of his doubters wrong with his performances for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Alexander-Walker has become a crucial piece in the Timberwolves' system, not only as a pesky defender but also as an offensive option when his offense is needed.
Timberwolves fans should have been pleased when a player like Alexander-Walker fell onto them when they traded D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers.
Nickeil has reinvented himself in Minnesota, growing into a lockdown defender and he has become a knockdown shooter. In his 181 games played for the Timberwolves, he is shooting 38.7% on 4.1 attempts per game.
Related: Alexander-Walker Wants Timberwolves To Focus On The Games
Any Team Would Love Having Alexander-Walker
Succeeding in the NBA is challenging, and Nickeil worked hard to get where he is. Once upon a time, many only knew him as the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's cousin. That is not the case anymore because Alexander-Walker has carved a path for himself.
His ability to come through for the Timberwolves shows he is a fantastic teammate and player. This was best seen with how he performed in the Timberwolves' double-overtime 140-139 win against the Nuggets.
Anthony Edwards and head coach Chris Finch were ecstatic with how well Alexander-Walker played in lieu of the absent Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid who were suspended after the brawl with the Pistons.
"MVP of the game, he hit big shot after big shot. At some point, I was like, let's just give the ball to Nickeil and we all spot up," Ant said after the game.
Finch Knows Alexander-Walker Is A Gem On His Bench
The performance against Denver showed that Alexander-Walker is already ready for the team. That mentality is impressive because he is always locked in. When needed, he will pick up the slack for the others.
That is a coach's dream because Nickeil only needs to be motivated. Finch does not have to do much because Alexander-Walker is already talented, but he is also an easy player to plug into almost any system.
"He made the big three. He was really good all game defensively, he was outstanding with his toughness." Finch said in his post-game interview. "He's had a hell of a run with us, and this might have been one of his best performances ever."
WESTBROOK GETS CALLED FOR THE FOUL ON THE TWOLVES GAME-WINNING SHOT ATTEMPT.
NICKEIL ALEXANDER-WALKER WINS IT AT THE LINE pic.twitter.com/BzKPrFlcLp
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 2, 2025
Since he is a free agent in the summer of 2025, the Timberwolves must do their best to keep him on the team. He meshes well with the team's stars, and the coach loves him.
It will be interesting to see how Alexander-Walker's future, but in the meantime, he is contributing to a motivated Timberwolves team that wants an automatic berth to the Playoffs.
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This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 6:28 AM.