Atlanta Hawks: Nickeil Alexander-Walker scouting report, strengths, weaknesses, etc. with Dane Moore
On today’s show, a deep dive into newly acquired Hawks guard Nquille Alexander Walker. What can he do? What does he struggle with? We’ll get into all of that and more right now. You are Locked on Hawks, your daily Atlanta Hawks podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Hello friends, welcome to episode 2029 of the Locked on Hawks podcast. I am your host Brad Rolling coming to you on a Friday here in late July. And today’s show is sponsored by the folks at Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. I also want to encourage you at the top of the show, as I always do, to make Locked On Hawks your first listen each and every day. Check us out and subscribe to the show anywhere you find your podcast. That includes Apple and Spotify. We’re also on YouTube, so please like this video as you’re watching it and tell your friends about the show. If you missed it, I did a two-part episode actually earlier this week with my friend Tyler Jones of ATL29. It was a fun discussion as always with Tyler. This is our fifth episode of this very busy week at the end of July as we kind of gear into our summer schedule, but still plenty more to come next week and beyond. But today, I’ll be joined by Dne Moore. Dne does a fantastic job covering the Minnesota Timberwolves primarily. He is one of the best in the business I think at covering a team. And Dane is joining me today to discuss Nquille Alexander Walker. For uh full disclosure, I recorded this with Dan a couple weeks ago actually, but nothing has changed. It was kind of designed to be evergreen as a full breakdown of Alexander Walker from someone who has now covered him the last two years quite closely in Minnesota. So, similar to what I did with Noah Dzel talking about Porzingis a few weeks ago, this is a comprehensive look at Alexander Walker from someone who’s covered him in the past and how he’ll be looking in Atlanta in the future. So, without any further delay, we’ll dive in right now and a full deep dive look at Nquille Alexander Walker. I am joined now by a genuine expert on the Minnesota Timberwolves and beyond. I will say you’re not limited to the T-Wolves. Dane, thank you for joining me on the podcast today. Yes, like Star Wars, uh, fantasy football. What else do I think I’m an expert in? I’m not sure I’m an expert in the in the Minnesota Timber. You know how it is, man. You like the the closer you get to something, you’re like, “Wait a minute. Am I too am I too deep in the weeds that I’m missing the forest through the trees?” I don’t know. That’s Yes. Table. It can happen sometimes. Yeah, it can happen sometimes for sure. Like it’s like, oh, someone that’s doesn’t quite do the same thing you do. It’s like that’s actually a good point and I don’t know why I thought why do I not think of it that way? And it’s because you’re you are too close to it. But anyway, yep. You are the host of the Dane Moore NBA podcast. It’s not the Wolves podcast. It’s an NBA podcast, but hell yeah. I am I am recruiting you today to talk about the Ke Alexander Walker, uh the Hawks big free agent edition. Obviously, someone you just covered very closely for two years in two plus years in Minnesota. We’ll probably bounce bounce around a little bit because that’s the nature of these things, but I want to start kind of broad and ask you what your reaction was to the Wolves, you know, not prioritizing him above guys like Randall and Reed, for instance, and also kind of what you thought about the Hawks and, you know, giving him a four-year deal and all of that. So, what was your reaction to all of what has happened to date with Alexander Walker? Yeah. Well, I I would just set the the tone by saying I was not in the camp of my personal opinion that the way that when the Wolves were presented with this Nazri, Julius Randall, and Nquille Alexander Walker can only keep two situation, which is just financially with the situation they were in. I was not in the camp that like, okay, just because I guess Nquille is the worst that he should be the one that they should let go. You know, I I I thought that even other things were worth considering, like retain Nquille Alexander Walker and maybe you send out Dante Devenzo and you get some first round picks back that Eli like I was open to all things, but the Tea Leaves, I mean, for like three months now, man, have been have been pointing to exactly what happened. They had to figure out what the Reed and Randall’s markets ended up being, but as kind of anticipated by this salary cap environment. Neither of them got ridiculous deals. Um, so they were were able to be retained on non-rediculous deals. And then, uh, Nquille was just the the casualty, the Bruce Brown of the Denver Nuggets, uh, a couple years ago. You you know, you know the drill. But, I don’t know. We’ll talk about his game. Iing love the dude, man. Sorry. I don’t know if I can say that, but like loved uh loved covering him. Loved his arc. One of one of my one of the players I most appreciated um his game, you know, over over the the three years that that I covered him. So, tough tough to see him go, I think, from a Wolves standpoint. Uh love love the Atlanta Fit. Yeah. And I look I I’ve I’ve listened to not every show of yours but enough to know that you like Nikil Alexander Walker so I’m not surprised by that but you know there was a debate happening and you know I heard all kinds of numbers and this is not why you’re on the podcast talking about the contract but it was like I wasn’t sure how what how high it might go. I mean you talked about the limited market. You’re right about that but he was kind of the by the end it was he’s almost like the one guy who was kind of had multiple offers it seemed like. Yeah. he was fighting away, man. And the Hawks had the ability to pay him more than the mid-level if they wanted to with this trade exception they had and all these things. Um, and you know, 3 plus one, he’s at the age where this totally fine. Like one of the re one of the things that the Hawks did kind of with this is they traded out and not exactly this one for one, but Caris Levert’s two years older, three years older, something like that than Alexander L, maybe even four. I I don’t have in front of me right now, but considerably older, all those things. And they obviously prioritize I think it’s four. Yeah, I have that written down somewhere, but just not in front of me. But, you know, they they obviously prioritized it. I heard to your maybe maybe not for three months because there wasn’t I wasn’t sure what the Hawks were going to be doing that last lot change for the Hawks three months GM and otherwise, but for six weeks now it’s been like, “Hey, they really like Alexander Walker.” Like, okay, makes sense. He fits a lot of places. Um, I want to start on the defense because it’s that side of the floor where he’s like the difference maker. Offensively, he’s not bad. It’s just that defensively I think he’s kind of more special on the end of the floor. This is a funny way to ask this. Um, how good is he? Where do you fall on the like is he really good or is he like uber elite scale basically? And what kind of impact can he have defensively on a team you a generic team and also obviously with the Hawks? Yeah, I think he’s uber elite in a context that has Dyson Daniels at the point of attack or Jaden McDaniels at the point of attack. He is not going to be able to guard every player at the point of attack. the lot of Luca over the last few years for the Wolves like that isn’t it for Nquille you know there’s the size and the the force of a bigger player it really helps to be able to have a bigger player like Dyson or Jaden to be able to take that guy you know Nquille though the good news is is he’s not just a point of attack defender he’s a really good chase defender and so to that end you can play him he didn’t play alongside Jaden a ton in Minnesota He was kind of like the sub in when Jaden subbed out, but certainly happened some. And uh I I really I really liked him off the ball. His attention to detail is pristine. Effort guy there up and down. And if it’s just about screen navigation and effort as being a chase defender is or navigating, you know, a high pick and roll, he’s elite at that. He’s elite at that because he does it every time. Every time. And and you’ll you’ll come to love that and you’ll come to see that he can’t guard everybody cuz he’s 6’4 skinny, you know, and that’s that’s that’s part of that’s part of that package there. But if that point of attack guy can’t overpower him, he can guard them, you know, Jamal Murray, whatever. Like a lot of different guys over a lot of different years, they leaned on him. They leaned on him hard there. But it helped having Jaden McDaniels, which is why I liked both Atlanta and Detroit when that was the other name for him because I was like, “Oh, they got a SAR that they could put at the the point of attack there.” Th this fit next to Daniels is I mean, I I think great. Yeah, I was actually going to ask you exactly about that because, you know, Dyson is not like full-blown small forward size, but he is a little bigger than Alexander Walker, probably stronger, thicker. Um, of course, he’s well known for his playmaking. Dyson just set all these records for steals and all these things and I think it’s pretty clear, you know, not having her directly yet because it’s it’s July, but I think they’re gonna have Nquille on the floor whenever Dyson is not just in the way you kind of laid it out there with with with McDaniels and Minnesota when they play together. I think Dyson becomes kind of the kind of the bigger defender like the the the three defender so to speak in some some lineups etc. Um, you know, I I guess I’ll ask you like if Dyson is for for some reason unavailable, is it really just like Luca and big forwards that give him problems or is there other things that you might be concerned about a little bit? Because I mean that was in my cursory watch of what I’ve seen so far. That’s kind of the one thing I was circling to like can he guard, you know, the biggest of the biggest of the best? But that’s like five guys in the league. So it’s like right or a switch up onto a four, right? Like let’s use the Wolves for an example. can’t guard Ant can can definitely can definitely uh hassle Connley up the court can definitely you know chase Steven around screens if he gets switched on to Julius Randall probably in trouble you know and that’ll be the same thing but you know if they he gets switched on to a big I mean he’ll fight for post up position he’s not like a die on him but he gets he gets steamrololled sometimes by guys that weigh 60 more pounds than him you know or whatever whatever it might be there But no, man, I don’t I don’t think so. Even like even sometimes the guys that I mean Jaden is I Jay McDaniels I think is elite point of attack defender in the NBA. But if there’s guys that are going to give him a little trouble, it’s like De’aran Fox and Tyrese Maxi. And I was always of the mind in those matchups just because of the speed to be like putting a keel on on those guys as as much as you can. Um because I don’t I don’t think speed he’s not going to get blown by. You know, there might be just some guys that are faster than him, but you wouldn’t say he’s deficient laterally, deficient in foot speed at all. Today’s brought to you by Game Time. Have you ever decided at the last minute actually want to go to a game with your friends or your family? Maybe it’s already game day and you realize suddenly that you actually want to be in the stands instead of being at home. That’s exactly where Game Time can come in and help you out. times the easiest way to grab last minute tickets without a stress that comes some sometimes comes associated with buying tickets at the last minute. And with the money that you can save on tickets, you can splurge on food and drinks and merch or even invite a bigger group people to come with you to the game. And at game time, they make it all possible by making tickets and buying tickets fast and simple. 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The other thing that I kind of noticed that’s like not jumping off the screen at me as far as like the box score is concerned is his defensive rebounding. And I wonder like is that an active problem you see? Is that just like a normal like that’s the that’s the point of attack thing, man. play, you know what I mean? Did Dyson have good rebounding numbers? He’s pretty good for what his size is, but yeah, he’s not like Yeah, he’s he’s he’s big. He’s really he’s really active in a way that’s like uncanny, I would say. But and he’s just long in that way, too. Well, so the example being like Jade McDaniels for for many years, everybody was like, “Dude, get a rebound.” You know, it’s like three rebounds a game. Well, then as soon as like Nquille developed as a point of attack defender or Jaylen Clark developed as a point of attack defender and Jaden was sometimes playing off ball or Jaden was playing power forward, the rebounding numbers doubled. I I don’t think I mean Jaden’s bigger than him, so he’s not I wouldn’t take that type of leap, but I don’t know. Well, I I I don’t I don’t think of I didn’t ever talk about being like, you know what? Yeah. This month Nquille didn’t rebound like it wasn’t it it never felt precient. I had a feeling that’s what you were going to say, but that’s the one area where it’s like at least on the box on the defensive box some of that stuff where it’s like, oh, he’s just okay. And if if he’s playing point guard, which he won’t be a I mean, it’s not a pure point guard, but he might be playing some lineups. Well, it’s not a hawk. It’s not a full Cox session, but he might have to play some point guard and that might be interesting playing with Dyson and kind of causing havoc defensively. Um, I wanted to ask you, he he just played backtoback 82 game every single game seasons in Minnesota. He was not the most durable like as far as like he didn’t play a ton of games before that. Part of that was that he wasn’t always in rotations in certain places that he was. But is there anything like that? Obviously, it’s hard to project durability, but when you play 80, you guys don’t play 82 anymore and doing it back-to-back seasons and also through through playoff runs like that stands out to me as something that’s like kind of outlier and I’m impressed by it on the outside. What do you What did you make of that? You should be. I mean, he’s about it, man. He’s I remember two years ago I I was on a trip with the team and they got there was a game in Orlando back toback in Boston and and there’s this rainstorm that can’t fly until the day of to to Boston and I remember I I’m going too and I’m like exhausted. I get the stadium and I didn’t sweat at all any of the time like other than my seat on the airplane, but I remember just seeing Nquille out there when I walked out to the floor for pregame warm-ups in Boston and is just attacking it and and in that game you can look it up in in the box score from then it was a game at Boston I think like January of of that 23 24 season and and Mike Connley doesn’t play in the game because it’s a because it’s a backto-back and Mike’s 36 or 37 or whatever and Aquil starts and is incredible in the game and and it’s about that him being incredible in that game and in that circumstances I think is illustrative of who he is and how he approached these last couple of years saving his career uh in the NBA up for the challenge and willing to put in the work on his body. I mean that none of that is luck. That is intention. Um that is stretching himself. You know, it was about saving his ass in the league, man. I mean, he was he attacked these last couple seasons um in in Minnesota and and the 82 game thing is real and I think proved to be super valuable for this team over the last couple seasons because it wasn’t just 82 games, man. It’s consistent. He’s consistent in how he plays every night. And to do that for 82 games two seasons in a row. Yeah. gold star. Something you said for that for sure of, you know, just being there and being reliable and coaches love that. Obviously, you know, everything you’ve said so far, it’s like a coach’s dream, basically. I could do some negative things, too. I This is 12 minutes of me just pumping his tires. No, we’re coming. I promise. Uh, one more defensive question. Um, then we can kind of flip it over to offense where there’s more there’s more there’s more questions on that on the floor, I think. Um, you mentioned the attention to detail. I can already kind of see why the Hawks prioritized him knowing the way that Quinn thinks. You know, Auntie Cle is a new general manager, but kind of getting an idea of the processoriented stuff of the entire organization. He’s a process guy. It seems like something that maybe I wouldn’t uh I wouldn’t notice as much just watching him every once in a while. Um it seems like kind of want to put words in your mouth that that’s like another outlier thing potentially of him is just like how consistent he is not only with the showing up but also just execution, the little stuff. And honestly to use our mutual friend, this is something I think Glenn this is like what Glenn’s known for on my podcast is like being in the process like coach’s mind kind of guy. That’s why I have that’s a lot why we what we talk about. It feels like the queue is a Glenn Willis guy too for that. 100% because Glenn does the coach’s approach. It’s right coaches coaches absolutely love him. Finch loved him in Minnesota. Finch coached him in New Orleans when he was there and kind of knew of him and and really I mean how Nquille got to Minnesota was he was like a throwin salary filler in the Wolves sending out uh Tandel Russell to the Lakers and Mike Connley coming back through Utah and they picked up along the way but as we you know kind of reported on later was you know Finch was behind that with uh with Nquille and and saw something in him and it’s really. I mean, I don’t know if you could find him on my Twitter, stuff like that, but listen, I would I would recommend to your listeners try to find a way to have or you find it yourself and play it on here. Chris Finch talking about Nikquil Alexander Walker will make you be like, “Yeah, all because he saw both spectrums of it. Nquille was a really uh resistant kid at the beginning at at the time of his career.” And I wish I could remember the quote exactly, but but Finch would always talk about he fought him, he fought him, he fought him. in New Orleans and then just kind of once he came to Minnesota accepted and embraced, you know, what what he was and that made obviously that made all the difference in in who he became under Finch. But Finch saw the person because you guys will get to know him. I mean, your fans are going to love him. Great dude like and the way he plays, but also the person he is, you know, you can you can tell that he’s I think he he’s he stands out in that capacity as well. There’s actually on my list to ask you like there’s these guys in the league and I won’t name names because you can get in trouble but like who come in they kind of bounce around a little bit. They might think that they’re one thing and they’re not and it’s like the light has to come on. That’s the way I always think about it. It’s like will the light come on for this guy to realize he’s a role player. That’s a very simplified way of putting it. But he’s a role player. That’s where he’s going to be. And obviously that it worked for him. He’s just earned a four-year deal at the mid level. Like it’s a real thing. But um when when I say that a lot of times it’s about guys offensive role. So, we can go to that on the floor a little bit because, you know, he was more of an onball player coming out of college, played a point guard, etc. Can still do a little bit of that, but obviously it’s not where his bread is buttered. Um, I wonder broadly what you think about him as an offensive player at this point in time because he’s, you know, he has improved so much, but you saw it up close and personal. Like, what do you make of him offensively big picture and kind of dive in from there? Well, I think we should probably start with the three-point shooting even though that’s the less nuanced element of it. I mean, yeah, it matter. It’s the number one thing. Yeah. I don’t know what what did he shoot the last two year like high30s, right? Yeah. 38 38 and a half or so uh over the last two years. Good good volume, you know, high volume kind of per 36 and stuff like that. I mean, the shot’s funky, man. The shot is funky. He look at uh look at his feet. He’s a right-handed shooter, and you know, 99% of right-handed shooters lead with their right foot. He leads with his left foot because he’s actually ambidextrous. like he shot a couple catch and shoot threes over the course of his time because a defender was coming like with his left hand. He is an extremely ambidextrous shooter, but it leads to this really cockeyed form honestly that took me a long time to believe in. You know, even he was he got acquired at that trade deadline and I think he shot somewhat decently in in that time or went on a hot streak and I was going to the next season. I’m like, you guys just look at it, you know? But it’s one of those kind of like Hallebertton like I didn’t like Hallebertton’s shot out of the draft. I’m like I don’t know if this is going to translate but it’s just funky. Uh it’s funky but he’s found a way to make it repeatable is is what Nquille has has done with that shot. And so he’s reliable from three-point range at a percentage and he always takes, you know, he doesn’t he’s never even in cold streaks been a guy who really shies away from them, which is I I think is an important uh element to have in a shooter as he’s being, you know, added onto this Atlanta offense to be a shooter uh largely. But I I I think it I think it starts there. And he established that maybe after his first full season with the Wolves, mixing in a little bit of playing off the catch, getting to the basket a little bit. He had terrible numbers before Minnesota, like at the rim and stuff like that, and they still weren’t great. But I saw him really add to that. He’s not going to just get totally lost and swallowed up at the rim. He might get bumped. it might not lead to a great, you know, percentage being able to reestablish himself because he’s slight of build, but he figured out how to get a little bit going to the basket, found Rudy on lobs, uh, in in that area. He was one of the guys who kind of spoke that language and a lot of teams would just play deep drop against him when he was, you know, when he was running the point for the Wolves and he reliably stepped into that, you know, 15 foot mid-range shot and and and and knocked it down, I believe, at a really, I might have been even more than 50%. uh last season from mid-range. So there there’s things there, but you’re never going to once he leaves the catch and shoot position of the floor, you’re never going to be like it’s going to get better than that. You know what I mean? Like he’s not going to go up and like dunk on somebody or whatever. But it’s not there’s it’s not like there’s nothing in terms of skill and craft in the in the two-point range. I I actually think there might be some untapped in there, too. Floater game, etc. He ended up taking about 60% of his shots from three in Minnesota. That was a much higher rate than it was earlier in his career, which again makes sense for the evolution of what he was asked to do, the improved shooting, all of that. I did notice, and you already brought it up a little bit, like he did improve his two-point efficiency, and it’s not like it’s huge volume. He’s taking like, you know, six per 100 possessions from two-point range, but it was he managed to shoot 52% 53%. That’s really good for a guard and maybe that’s picking your spots, but let’s say for instance, you buy the shooting and the closeouts, you know, what is he deficient at as far as like what he can’t do inside the arc and also like does he have a go-to? Like you mentioned the floater game. What’s his like my best deficient once he Okay, I don’t I don’t Well, no, it’s that he doesn’t have a thing in two-point range. you know, he he’ll take these like sort of running flailing got to the baseline, try to sneak it in um you know, the side of the the side of the backboard and then actually makes them sometimes, but they’re just like a lot of times shots where you go, “No, no, no, no.” Yeah. Okay. You know, like it it’s it’s it’s a lot of that once he gets into two-point range and and and I think he has ability to pass in that zone. I think that might be able, you know, to be his thing as, you know, Johnson or whoever Reese Shay is cutting when he drives. I think you might come to appreciate that. But no, there’s not like a TJ McConnell like sprint to 9 ft pivot turn and get that repeatedly like um he’s limited in I think in his two-point game, but not extremely deficient if that makes sense. Let me say one more thing about the three-point shot. Go ahead. Yeah. I I still think there’s like there’s like a world because he is a little emotionally volatile. He’s like very like Zen centers himself. I I will say just kind of watching his personality, I was surprised there was never a really bad month or like three month stretch of shooting cuz he I always was almost prepared for the like oh man 21% from three from Nquille for this this six week stretch. Yeah. And and and I like I say that as a cautionary tale of like how it maybe wouldn’t work in Atlanta is is if he just starts there like a little uncomfortable with what the role is compared to what the only role he’s ever worked in was in Minnesota. You know what I mean? And and we’re like it’s January 14th and Aquil’s at like 30.5% from three and you guys are like wait a minute Dane said this dude shot 40% on high volume you know for two years. I I think that could happen as the setting changes. He has to like re-eotionally acclimate and figure out a new role, a new system. I mean, Quinn is about as structured as it gets uh from an offensive standpoint where the Wolves are a lot more of a concept offense playing in the flow. Nquille kind of going to do the same thing and both offense is like, “Dude, stand there and catch it, shoot it.” But it’s different. It’ll be a little bit of a different setting for him. Yeah. Yeah. And Quinn’s loosened up a little bit, I think, out of necessity for this personnel. Like they weren’t He’s not calling as many plays as he was in Utah. That kind of thing. But they do have their principles they like for sure. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I wonder with the new personnel and now it’s more like shooting if they if Quinn doesn’t go more towards structure. Maybe. Yeah. I mean, they now now that they have shooting, that’s definitely a possibility. you touched on it a little bit already, but you know, especially for this player type, I am thinking about things like his decision- making and his passing. And one one of the things that has been coming up with their roster construction, obviously they have Trey Young, so pest in 35 minutes a game of Trey Young at point guard. That seems like a safe bet, primary option. One of the questions that I have and everybody has kind of is like what what are they going to do when Trey sits and how many laps will there be when they’re kind of like without a traditional point guard? And they have a bunch they have a bunch of guys who have played a little point guard in their history. Nquille’s one of them. Tyson Daniels beat Cree. Kobe Buffkin, the list goes on and on. Uh, but no, at least as we’re talking, you and I right now, and people might will know what happens after this. Um, they don’t have like that very obvious backup point guard. So, if he’s out there, and I know this happened in Minnesota, too, because, you know, you had Mike, but that wasn’t there wasn’t a lot of that behind Mike. What’s that look like if he’s like one of the not like the primary ball handler, but one of the co ball handlers? perhaps he figured it out. It took a while to like to get to that. And it was actually this last season um when Mike Conley’s the they knew the roles kind of shifted after trading away cat and what the roster was and there was a clear hole at backup point guard for the team because Rob Dillingham was the backup point guard and he was 19 years old and you know not ready. It probably was. Yeah. Not ready. you know. So, so Nquille came into to training camp and uh and the preeason was like backup point guard. I’m doing all that like that’s my primary focus and he stunk at it. It was it was like preseason was awful and everyone was like uhoh like Nquille turned into a pumpkin whatever but as we kind of talked and he talked about this on the record and stuff too later about being like I forgot you know who I was that had made me successful as being more of a tertiary player uh catch and shoot sort of guy playing off the catch rather than a primary initiator and he lost his way kind of at the beginning of the season because of that and and Finch kind of got through to him and was like we just need you to be a basketball player. Let that go. The whole the whole point guard element of it. So I say that to mean I think in the Atlanta context, not knowing everything as obviously as well as you do is I think it’s important to not make him think look if you’re playing 22 minutes a night 15 of them are backup point guard. You know what I mean? Yeah. I don’t think you’re going to get the the best version of him in that because he’s like a he can bring it, but if Alex Caruso is picking him up full court and over once every three possessions for sure, you know what I mean? Like it just is like he’s he’s not that guy. and and it got better over the course of the year and and honestly I thought it was getting a really good at the end of the regular season where I I you know hypothesizing about the future of the Wolves point guard position and Mike Connley being another year older I was like I don’t know Nquille might be part of the answer at backup point guard you know for them uh in in the future. So, it’s in there. It’s just it’s there’s some limited handle skills in there and ball pressure that that make you be like that’s not a traditional point guard that we want to rely on for that. Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. Again, you know, limited and limited viewings. And that’s why I’m trying to stress like they they have like five guys like this and it’s like you’re not going to put one of them in the spot where they have to do that. We saw it this last season with with Dyson. Honestly, they’re not that dissimilar in the way they even grew. And Dyson was kind of tasked with doing that because out of necessity and he was fun at it sometimes, but he’s also to your point, ball handling against pressure, not the best thing right now. They’ve had to piece it together. We’ll see what they do there, but I always wanted to add like he is always capable of helping you with ball handling and initiation. Yeah. And and I think what he he could kind of do too in those situations, he can get it into action and be like, “Okay, pistol, whatever.” Like, “Somebody’s coming to get it from me.” But if he’s a primary initiator, pretty much the best thing is he’s stepping into that mid-range there or he’s getting you like a little side step back three. And he can do both of those things. It’s the more like complex elements of like, okay, I’m splitting this coverage, reading the big, you know, they’re playing more aggressive. I I don’t know. I I don’t not not a huge pick and roll uh operator at this point. If you don’t have that, like but but very like a basic level of it. And the basic level is he can kind of create for himself if the big is back and and you know take I mean those are valuable though those step threes like yeah he can he can hit those like step in threes and the mid-range of the big drops too big like it’s it’s not nothing it’s just it’s a lot more for himself when he’s the primary creator until he and some of that could be like maybe he’ll pass it once the second guy comes over and defenses don’t really respect him enough in there to to do that I feel at least off the top of my Uh, so something there. But yeah, don’t when if Trey rolls his ankle a month into the season. Yeah. I, you know, I don’t think you’re like Nquille, go ahead 309. I will I will not be I will not be the guy that says they will just turn the reigns over to Alexander Walker. Somebody somebody will probably do that, but I won’t. I will not be that guy. No, because you’ll want to, man. You’ll want to because Nick, you’ll be like, dude, 18 minutes a night like double it. Yeah. Yeah. He’s gonna play plenty. And that’s the other thing about this. I know that he is Dyson’s backup technically in the way that he’s been, but he’s he’s this he’s the sixth, seventh man. Like he’s gonna be a top seven guy on the team and he’s gonna play. Um yeah, on the sort of decision-making aspects offensively, you know, Quinn is really big on one thing he is big on, you already mentioned. That’s why I didn’t ask about like his willingness to shoot. Quinn’s big on that like do not pass up open shots. The other one is like make quick decisions and the 0.5 second stuff. How is he in that? like how was he in the like swing it like no no no hesitations like where is ball stop is he yeah the Wolves the Wolves really want to play that way too um and and it’s it’s you could really tell in the team the guys who do it and don’t like Nas Reed is like we we say like Nas is less he’s like 025 you know it’s less than 0.5 and I would put Nquille in that too the Wolves struggle with Randall and Edwards as ball holders a little bit more there and it but Nquille dude here’s the thing like Nquille’s going to do whatever the hell Quinn tells him to do. That’s was what’s going to happen, you know. Quinn will love that. Yeah. Quinn will love that. Yeah. And and Nquille will kill will do it, you know, and and so what what the system is, he will definitely play that. He won’t overly look for his shot. Maybe some of them you’ll be like, “Okay, we could have swung that one more time.” But the Kale’s like, “No, I’m I’m a 39% three-point shooter. I’m going to I’m going to let this rip.” Uh but but you know, for the most part, if the corner if the corner swings there, like he’s gonna he’s going to get it there. and he’s very much fits in I can even see replays in my head of those you know those clips that go around and you’re like whoa wolves ball movement like Nquille’s in those plays on on like Twitter highlights for sure and that that definitely speaks to me. I can tell you that right now. Um look I I we can talk about him all day. I I like the idea of him. I like everything I’ve ever seen from him at least the last couple years in Minnesota. You already mentioned like people are going to love him. I I I always have this fear with guys who are not like scorers, who are the new free agents, that some fans are just not going to appreciate them. And I I get it. It’s just what it is. But you like cover him. It seems like not just for me as someone covering him, but like is he really good? I mean, how’s he going to fit in? Like, you know, it’s all those things I guess a good way to wrap on this like what people are expecting. It seems like he’s like beloved up there. I know maybe not to maybe not to the level of Nas who I know is like a cultural icon in Minnesota but uh yeah it’s a little different than Nas for for that reason I’m not yeah I don’t totally understand why but it is different I have family there too that listen to your show and everything everybody up there just loves without reservation it’s just interesting actually but I I think what the Nquille thing ties to is in relation to you and the answers that he gives to the media really resonate with us obviously cuz we’re using that and it was like if there was a more nuanced question or you know one of those type of questions that you or I need to ask where we actually don’t know the answer to like and it’s complicated Nquille will he like pauses before his answers and is extremely thoughtful and peels apart all the thoughts every single time and again that’s good for you that’s good for me I love that but it really resonated um with the with the fan base and And it was that same sort of attention he did in those interviews and the wise things that he said mirrored the player that people were seeing on the floor and and it’s this weird juxosition of like somewhat quiet thoughtful guy in in his answers and then on the floor like he’s a dog you know like I I just feel like that is the general NBA fan which again putting you and I in there like sure checks that box that is very likable. If he doesn’t hit his threes for some reason, people aren’t going to like him. You know, that’s just how that that’s just how that that works. But like we said, I have my reservations. I still don’t like what the jump shot looks like. But it’s been going in on volume for a couple years. If he keeps hitting his shots and he keeps playing the same way he like he’s not going to be a I got my bag and I’m gonna check out guy. That’s not not who he is, you know? Um always reading a book at his locker. I don’t know. He just like it just it just it just checks so many boxes because on and off the court to the to the degree that we have we have access to. He really grew on people over time. I think I think as as a player to your point that scores eight points a game sort of has to right I mean it’s like Caruso man. It’s like Caruso. I’ve compared him to Caruso for years and I’ve already start you know and again some of this is just online you know how this is. Some of this is like trolly stuff, but it’s like this guy only, if you just post his per game stat line, it’s like this guy this guy’s a full mid-level for four years. I’m like that’s not what he is. He’s not he’s not going to be a 20 20 point score. All these things, but this is the kind of guy that I love. So like it’s it’s an easy sell to me. I already like the guy, but uh you saw me even more. There there are there are shortcomings we that we talked about. Like it’s not all he’s if he was a perfect player, he wouldn’t be making the mid level. He would have been making the max. Yeah. Uh anyway, look at the way the Wolves defense changed once Nquille came and and a lot of people would point to Rudy and Rudy deserves the majority of the credit of that. But the inclusion of Nquille Alexander Walker in the 23-24 season in the Wolves rotation turned the Wolves into the defensive superpower that they were number one defense in the league that year coupled with Rudy Goar and Jade McDaniels. I mean, he was I don’t want to say he was as big of a part cuz he can’t be as big of a part as as Rudy was, but I mean, he was an alldefense caliber player in that range for two seasons here and for 82 games tonight. 82 games a season. And you don’t want to overweight this stuff, but like the onoffs told that story, too. Like a lot of the defensive rating stuff with him on the court, team success, like they were better with him on the floor all the time. And there’s ways that can be jumbled, but when you watch every minute, like I know you do, like backing that up with what you just said in the uh the defense in particular, like it’s easy to get excited. Yeah. Well, we would, you know, everyone would be like, “Why are the Wolves good?” You know, they got aunt and their number two is Julius Randall and who is their third star, you know, and nobody likes Gobear. And what I would say is I was like, I don’t know. You can figure out however you want to grade Randall and Go Bear, but the Wolves third star last season was the trio that came off of the bench. Nas Reed, Dante De Vincenzo, and Nquille Alexander Walker. And peel into some of that lineup data if you want to, you know, get excited, but that was special all season and in tandem. So, I don’t know. It wouldn’t all be off the bench, but can I see a world where it’s like Nquille fits really well alongside Jaylen Johnson and then I don’t know who the Devanchenzo is. I just feel like he knows how to fit in around guy bench guys and empower them and allow those players to empower uh himself there. He was a special bench player last season for sure. I look forward to digging in more and getting to uh talk to him. I think I actually talked to him in the pre-draft process, but it’s one of those things where it’s like that’s seven years ago and I don’t remember anything of what happened seven years ago, but uh I’m looking forward to covering him. Dane, I appreciate you giving me all this time. I will not badmouth Glenn online. We’ll do that. We’ll do that podcast. We’re doing a group chat. Yeah, I know I talked about it a little bit at the intro, but please plug your stuff. People might want to listen to your wolves, but also again, you do more than wolves content. So, where can folks find all of your musings on the internet? Yeah, I mean it’s it’s mo to be fair, it’s mostly wolves content. I know. I know. I’m a subscriber. Day more NBA podcast. Right. Right. I’m saving. I’m saving. Yeah. It gives me the window to talk if the Wolves are at like a seven game losing streak. I can be like, “Well, what’s going on in the Eastern Conference this week?” Exactly. Locked on Hawks. A little bit harder to to sell on a Hawks only podcast to do that. Yeah. Exactly. Uh yeah, but um I mean I I’m fortunate that the Timberwolves have a really good beat um in terms of the beat reporters from the Athletic and the newspapers and columnists. So my show is is really rotating uh those guys on with me um you know four or five times a week and uh largely you know largely talking about uh where the where the wolves are but um yeah I don’t know man I’m sure I’m not if you if you listen to this and you’re like man that Dane guy he was all about the other the rest of the Wolves Bwitriters would have been saying the same stuff man it was like this is uh he he he really uh grew on us not just as the the player reporter relationship. Um, but the the play it was a cool story, man. He’s got a really cool story. He was out of the league like dead and like struggling at a on a personal level and you know it’s for us some of the is some of the Yeah. some of the best stuff. I I really I really enjoyed uh enjoyed the process and my show will uh will miss his presence for his long- winded but philosophically accurate uh basketball um yeah quotes. Yeah, maybe he’ll fill in for George Dang on on that from the Hawks. They lost they lost. George is a is a good talker as well. And look, I know there I know there are a lot of Anthony Edwards fans around that listen to my podcast because they’re fans and they might they might enjoy your show just to follow. There’s a little crossover. And look, again, my I literally have multiple cousins and uncles and stuff that like swear by your podcast. And that’s not a joke. I texted you about that recently. They all listen. I was up there and like, “Oh, you know, yeah, we’re not like best friends, but I do know a little bit.” Anyway, well, thanks again. Appreciate you doing this. As everybody else, please subscribe to Lot Hawks anywhere you find your podcasts and we’ll see you all next time.
Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) hosts Episode 2029 of the Locked on Hawks podcast, and he is joined by Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) to discuss Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Topics include his role with the Atlanta Hawks, his defensive aptitude, his strengths and areas of improvement on offense, his popularity with fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and much more.
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