Ohm Youngmisuk
Multiple Authors
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was named this season’s Most Improved Player on Friday, marking the second straight Atlanta Hawks participant to win the award.
Alexander-Walker averaged a career-high 20.8 factors, 3.7 assists and three.4 rebounds to go along with 1.3 steals. He additionally averaged profession highs in blocks, area purpose share and 3-point area purpose share.
The 6-foot-5 guard elevated his scoring by 11.4 factors after averaging 9.4 factors coming off the bench for the Minnesota Timberwolves through the 2024-25 season. That is the third-highest enhance from one season to the following over the previous 25 years.
“It really validates my feelings,” mentioned the Hawks guard, who regarded like he was holding again tears at instances whereas speaking to reporters on Friday. “Sometimes I think everyone’s been through that where they feel something and other people might not, and they might not see it yet. And it’s kind of like that told you moment to not make you feel crazy. And a lot of times this game has made me feel delusional and just the beliefs that I had … honestly, it [hasn’t] set in. I go from moments of where I’m ready to break down in tears and then I’m just ready to just scream and just be happy.”
Alexander-Walker now has some {hardware} so as to add to a household that features cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City‘s MVP and Finals MVP.
“It’s good to make the family proud,” Alexander-Walker mentioned. “When you’re Shai’s cousin, a lot of times you get referred to as Shai’s cousin. And so now being recognized for being Nickeil Alexander-Walker feels great. I talk to Shai all the time… [he’s] my brother and my twin, and I couldn’t be any more proud for anyone’s success. So to know that he’s in my corner and rooting for me the same way… all of those things really resonate.”
Alexander-Walker follows teammate Dyson Daniels, who received the award final season. This is the primary time within the award’s historical past that two straight winners have come from the identical staff.
In his seventh season, Alexander-Walker thrived with the Hawks. The guard informed ESPN early within the season that he had a number of suitors in free company however selected the Hawks after former Atlanta level guard Trae Young recruited him.
When Young suffered a knee harm early within the season and was then traded to Washington, Alexander-Walker helped the Hawks stay a playoff staff. He scored in double figures in 76 video games and made 251 3-pointers in 2025-26, a single-season franchise report and fourth most within the league this season.
“I think it was the opportunity that I was given and the mindset of just I have to make the most of it,” Alexander-Walker mentioned. “Through different times of my career, when you get something like this, you got to grab it by the horns and just take it for the ride and just wherever it goes, I was hanging on for dear life, still am and still will be.”
