Jock Landale Describes Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s ‘Superpower’ With Hawks

Nickeil Alexander-Walker was the only projected starter who played for the Atlanta Hawks in Monday's three-point exhibition win against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a 113-110 final. He had 16 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal in 25 minutes, made 4 of his 7 3-point attempts, and was plus-1. He also committed 3 turnovers.

Jock Landale, who led Atlanta with 17 points, was bleeding from the lip after one of Alexander-Walker's plays. It was still sore when Landale reached the podium afterward.

"I started bleeding everywhere," Landale said. "Yeah, I remember that. My lip's pretty sore right now."

Alexander-Walker sat out Saturday's win at Indiana, the third straight preseason game in which Atlanta rested at least one regular starter. On Monday, Alexander-Walker played while Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, CJ McCollum, Aaron Wiggins, and Luguentz Dort rested.

Landale has played beside Alexander-Walker since February. He said he had never seen him make a play quite like the one that left Landale bleeding.

"No, not at all. I've never seen Nickeil jump in the air and spin and throw it out," Landale explained. "But Nickeil will do some crazy stuff, and part of his superpower, I guess, is just playing good basketball within a little bit of madness, and he's very free in how he approaches the game."

"I've not seen Nickeil like that, and to be honest with you, I didn't even realize the shot went in until I saw [it]," Landale continued. "I was kind of falling over all over the place. So, yeah, it was a good play. It was a good play."

Alexander-Walker's first shot of the night was a pull-up 3-pointer off a Kingston Flemings pass at 11:16 of the first quarter. His last basket of the first half, another 3 with 5 seconds left, put Atlanta up 56-47. In the third quarter, he found Jalen Wilson for a 3 that made it 70-64.

Three of Landale's seven field goals Monday came off Alexander-Walker passes. Two were cutting dunks in the first quarter. The third was a cutting layup with 5:30 left in the third quarter.

Atlanta brought Alexander-Walker in from Minnesota in a sign-and-trade completed in July 2025. He signed a four-year, $62 million contract that includes a player option, and the Hawks sent a 2027 second-round pick and cash to the Timberwolves.

The New Orleans Pelicans drafted him 17th overall in 2019, and he also played for Utah before Minnesota. In his last season with the Timberwolves, he averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists, shot 38.1% from 3-point range, and played all 82 games for the second straight year.

His first season in Atlanta ended with the Most Improved Player award. He averaged a career-high 20.8 points as a starter. Daniels had won the award the year before.

Alexander-Walker is a first cousin of Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who did not play Monday. In Atlanta's 140-129 loss at Oklahoma City on Dec. 29, Alexander-Walker scored 30 points on 11-of-24 shooting and swished a 45-footer at the first-quarter buzzer.

The Hawks wrap up the exhibition slate Friday against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Their first regular-season trip to Oklahoma City is Nov. 18.