More passer, Nickeil Alexander-Walker finds colors | NBA

In the Pelicans’ first ten games after the start of the new year, Nickeil Alexander-Walker only exceeded the ten-point mark four times. And on these four matches in question, he did not once reach 50% success on shots. After a satisfactory first part of the season (13.8 points in 32 matches in 2021), the Canadian rear suffered slightly during the first month of 2022.

But fortunately for the Pelicans, the cousin of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally seems to be back to his level at the start of the season for the past few days. On his last three outings, “NAW” scored 63 points, including a peak at 31 points (11/22), 4 rebounds and 5 assists on Tuesday against the 76ers.

” Nickeil was good. He took some good shots” noted his coach Willie Green after the 107-117 loss to Philadelphia. ” And he involved his teammates. He was aggressive, he is capable of producing matches like this, and tonight we needed his scoring.“

Playmaking in progress

” He begins to understand the game better, slowly but surely. That’s what’s great about Nickeil: when he takes the intervals, he begins to better understand the reactions of the defenses, which close in on him because he is one of our best players on the ‘drives’. added Willie Green. ” He finds his teammates in the corners, we want our guys to keep taking good shots. He does a good job.“

The coach rightly evokes the decision-making of the Canadian: if the 63 points in total over the last three matches are reassuring, the 15 passes distributed are perhaps even more so. Because the player has always been a scorer. But it is the development of its “playmaking” that will allow it to take a step forward.

Especially since this season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is not particularly effective on shots: according to The Athletic, of all the shots the player has taken this season, 60% are “jumpshots”. And on this type of shot in particular, he displays a low 29.8% success rate. Which makes him, among the 77 players who have taken more than 250 jump shots this season, the only one not to exceed the 30% success mark…

To remain effective, even when his shot does not respond, the young Pelican must therefore find alternative solutions. Making more passes is one.

” I make sure not to think ahead, I let the game come to me and I choose the right reading accordingly. I stay aggressive he summarized. ” I think, and everyone here will confirm it, that I’m at my best when I’m mentally free. That’s the key for me: don’t pre-determine anything. Just trust me.“