Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker won the 2025-26 NBA Most Improved Player award after telling Amazon Prime how trust from Atlanta fueled his year.
Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker was named the NBA's Most Improved Player after a breakout regular season that saw him more than double his scoring average from last season as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Alexander-Walker averaged career highs across the board in his first season with the Hawks, posting 20.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He also set personal bests in blocks, field goal percentage, and 3-point field goal percentage.
The 6-foot-5 guard's leap from 9.4 points per game with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024-25 to 20.8 points per game in Atlanta represents an 11.4-point increase, the third-largest year-over-year jump in the past 25 years. He is the fifth qualified player in the last 35 seasons to raise his scoring average by 11 or more points.
For Alexander-Walker, the production followed a free agency process that left him both excited and uncertain about what would be expected of him in Atlanta.
"Going into the summer, I was a little nervous because I was getting a lot of love from the Hawks organization and how excited they were for me to be part of the team," Alexander-Walker told Amazon Prime. "That was a little nerve-wracking because I didn't know what they were expecting. But through the work I put in, and the trust from the organization and my teammates, giving me that clarity and peace of mind to really develop and grow, it helped me produce."
Alexander-Walker arrived in Atlanta last summer after fielding interest from multiple suitors. He told ESPN earlier this season that former Hawks point guard Trae Young played a direct role in recruiting him to the franchise.
While his offensive leap drew the headlines, Alexander-Walker's defense did not slip. He averaged 1.3 steals and continued to draw difficult perimeter assignments while logging career-high efficiency on the other end. He said maintaining that two-way standard was a deliberate carryover from his time in Minnesota.
"For me, that's something that sets the tone," Alexander-Walker said. "I understood early that this is how I was going to make my mark as an NBA player. Coming in as a scorer, I knew that wasn't going to be my path right away. I had to make sacrifices and give in to get back. Defense became non-negotiable for me, trying to lead, trying to win."
He pointed to his time alongside Anthony Edwards in Minnesota as foundational to that identity.
"Coming from Minnesota, where everyone plays defense, and playing with guys like Ant who want to guard, that was never going to leave me," Alexander-Walker said. "My uncle told me at a young age that you have to play both sides of the ball, and that's just who I am."
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder credited that two-way commitment in his own statement on the award.
"Nickeil's dedication, continual work on his craft, and the ensuing results this season make him incredibly deserving of this award," Snyder said. "He has a tireless work ethic and a focus on improving in every aspect of his game. His game continues to evolve, and his commitment and unselfish attitude as a teammate have also positively impacted the success of the team."
Alexander-Walker becomes the second consecutive Hawks player to claim Most Improved Player honors, following teammate Dyson Daniels, who won the award in 2024-25. It marks the first time in the history of the award that two straight winners have come from the same franchise.
The shift to Atlanta also tested Alexander-Walker in another way: when Young suffered a knee injury early in the season and was later traded to the Washington Wizards, the seventh-year guard was thrust into a larger offensive role. He responded by scoring in double figures in 76 games and connecting on 251 3-pointers, a single-season Hawks franchise record and the fourth-highest total in the NBA this season.
That elevation has carried into Atlanta's first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, where Alexander-Walker has had to adjust to a new level of defensive attention.
"There's been a bit of a breakthrough, but overall, it's about settling in," Alexander-Walker said. "This is my first time, with all the playoff experience I've had, being a top-three name on a scouting report. Before, I was benefiting off guys like Julius. Now it's different. For me, it's been about adjusting, finding that balance between being aggressive, letting the game come to me, and creating for others in ways I maybe didn't have to during the regular season."
The Knicks have leaned on their fourth-quarter execution throughout the series, but Alexander-Walker pointed to internal growth that started months before tip-off as the reason Atlanta has been able to close.
"It's about staying connected," Alexander-Walker said. "I'm extremely proud of this group. Starting around the All-Star break, we really came together. We had team meetings, group sessions, dinners. Our bond kept growing. Before the wins came, it was about staying connected as a group. We trust the work and the process. Over time, that shows in how we play. We hold each other accountable, communicate, and address things directly. It's not finger-pointing. We're self-governing as a team."
Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh praised that professionalism in a statement following the announcement.
"We are thrilled for Nickeil to see his work acknowledged as the 2026 Most Improved Player," Saleh said. "He brings a high level of care and professionalism to everything he does associated with the game of basketball, whether that be how he watches film, practices daily or interacts with media. Nickeil truly embodies what it means to be the best version of yourself and we are excited for his future growth in our program."
For Alexander-Walker, the recognition arrives after a career that has required patience across multiple stops and shifting roles.
"It means a lot," Alexander-Walker said. "I've just stayed with it, kept working, and trusted the process."