The Nickeil Alexander-Walker (NAW) Thread

[Klomp]

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[Klomp]

Really good thread with lots of good numbers:

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[Folklore]

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[thinktank]

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Some good 3 and D from NAW here. I actually love his release point. Tough to block.

Also turnovers. He can play PG but he can’t run an NBA offense. He thinks passes that aren’t there are.

[KGdaBom]

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What are these highlights of? Practice?

[thinktank]

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What are these highlights of? Practice?

It’s a Canadian pro am recreational league. There are a lot of them in bigger cities throughout the US, and a few in Canada, apparently.

[minimus]

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I really hope NAW can do both things this summer: refine his shot and get experience in FIBA games.

[Dewey]

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I really hope NAW can do both things this summer: refine his shot and get experience in FIBA games.

Odd. Why was he drafted? Are we that desperate that a professional NBA player is praised for fundamentals?

[minimus]

I really hope NAW can do both things this summer: refine his shot and get experience in FIBA games.

Odd. Why was he drafted? Are we that desperate that a professional NBA player is praised for fundamentals?

I wish every MIN player can be praised for fundamentals

[thinktank]

I really hope NAW can do both things this summer: refine his shot and get experience in FIBA games.

Odd. Why was he drafted? Are we that desperate that a professional NBA player is praised for fundamentals?

I wish every MIN player can be praised for fundamentals

We need fundamentally sound role players to surround our stars, desperately.

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND THE GER / CAN BOX SCORE? I watched some of it and NAW looked really good. FIBA's website SUCKS.

[Klomp]

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND THE GER / CAN BOX SCORE? I watched some of it and NAW looked really good. FIBA's website SUCKS.

There might not be one available since it was just a friendly.

[thinktank]

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE I CAN FIND THE GER / CAN BOX SCORE? I watched some of it and NAW looked really good. FIBA's website SUCKS.

There might not be one available since it was just a friendly.

Do better, FIBA. Boooooo.

[minimus]

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[Klomp]

What the Wolves have seen from Alexander-Walker, who is flourishing for a Canadian team that has emerged as a real threat to win the whole thing, could be critically important for their chances next season. Entering Friday, he was shooting 46 percent from 3-point range and averaging 13 points in 23 minutes for undefeated Canada, playing with a self-assuredness that he says is coming from his first inkling of stability in his pro career. He is playing a Swiss Army knife role for Canada that will be similar to the one the Timberwolves need him to play, guarding multiple positions on the perimeter, knocking down the open 3s when they come and sometimes shifting into a point guard role while making plays for his teammates.

He has been doing it so well that Team Canada coach Jordi Fernandez referenced Canadian icon Alanis Morissette in describing his impact.

“There’s a song that says there’s 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife,” Fernandez told reporters in the Philippines after Canada beat Latvia last week. … We were not defending, doing the right things. I think Nickeil was that knife. He came in, played really hard, defended. When he was open, made all those 3s.”

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[Muskies97]

Funny if he ends up filling the role of switchy defender/Shooter/Secondary playmaker that famous draft busts like Jarrett Culver//Leo Bolmaro//Wendell Moore were brought here to do, considering he was seen as a throw in to that Conley deal.

[Nick K]

It looks like he'll have the role of defender...scorer. How good is that? Just what we need if he puts up decent numbers. All things point to him doing that.

The bench can't be under-rated. We were so bad last year.

Miller, Walker, Troy and Shake have to make us several games better all alone.

Towns being back at 100% means we might be as good as anybody.

They have a lot to prove to me though. We'll see.

The FIBA tournament doesn't create much excitement for me. We should take care of business. If we don't, so what?

[minimus]

It looks like he'll have the role of defender...scorer. How good is that? Just what we need if he puts up decent numbers. All things point to him doing that.

The bench can't be under-rated. We were so bad last year.

Miller, Walker, Troy and Shake have to make us several games better all alone.

Towns being back at 100% means we might be as good as anybody.

They have a lot to prove to me though. We'll see.

The FIBA tournament doesn't create much excitement for me. We should take care of business. If we don't, so what?

Yes. Last season bench unit based on MPG:

Anderson
TP
Rivers
Nowell
Reid
+
McLaughlin
NAW
Forbes

This bench unit was constantly out rebounded:

4th in rebounds when starters play
29th in rebounds when bench plays

This bench unit could not score from three point:

4th in 3pt % when starters play
28th in 3pt % when bench plays

I see three main problems here:

First, Naz has been a bad rebounder and positional defender in general.

Second, Anderson doesn't impact the game as three point shooter. He has low perimeter gravity and low volume.

Third, we played a lot of minutes either low effort guards or guards who lacks physicality. To make it worse two small guards played together as well.

This season we should have following bench unit:

NAW
Reid
Anderson
Brown
Milton
+
Moore
Minott

This bench has enough size at wings, but multiple young players must prove that they can score consistently from perimeter to earn my minutes in rotation:

NAW
Brown
Milton
Moore
Minott
Miller

Reid is a slasher, bench scorer. He needs shooters around. Anderson has elite floater game. He can pass, and he needs shooters around. At mean 1-3 positions should be filled with shooters. I also see Towns playing five out with bench unit.

[shrink]

I wanted to bring this smart jazz fan post over from a Trade Board debate on whether MIN should have added a PG this summer.

NAW was doing an excellent job as a backup point guard for Utah. I think between he and Conley they are fine - it's not a position of strength but that is two pretty heady players. Plus they have some other guys who they can throw in the mix for different looks.

[wolves_89]

It's good to see NAW being part of Canada's closing lineup for a tight elimination game.

[minimus]

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