Nickeil

Alexander-Walker

Alexander-Walker struggled on Thursday, as did several Hawks players. He finished with more turnovers than made field goals, and didn’t make a big impact as a facilitator or defender in his 29 minutes. The unspectacular season-ending performance was unfortunate for Alexander-Walker, who made huge strides in his first season in Atlanta. He earned the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and was a reliable contributor in fantasy leagues. His role shouldn’t change much going next season, which means he’ll likely have strong fantasy value.

As a team, the Hawks shot 10-of-41 from beyond the arc on Saturday, and Alexander-Walker was responsible for five of the makes. While he had a good night shooting the basketball, the NBA’s Most Improved Player did not provide much value overall. And the Knicks have done a good job of defending Alexander-Walker thus far, as he’s scored 17 points or less in all four games. With the series tied at two games apiece, the teams return to New York for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Alexander-Walker exploded with a career year in his first season with the Hawks. The 27-year-old shooting guard averaged 20.8 points, 1.3 steals and 3.2 three-pointers while shooting 45 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the three-point line. Alexander-Walker set the Hawks record for three-pointers made in a season. Atlanta holds a 2-1 series lead over the Knicks heading into Saturday’s Game 4.

Among the most improved players in the NBA this season, Alexander-Walker struggled in his Hawks postseason debut on Saturday. He shot 3-of-9 from two and wasn’t much better from beyond the arc while offering limited value in the other categories of importance. Given how well Alexander-Walker played throughout the season, nights like Saturday have not been the norm. He’ll look to improve his shooting efficiency in Game 2 on Monday.

The Hawks aren’t playing any of their starters in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Due to the absences, Zaccharie Risacher and Asa Newell are two forwards who should play plenty against the Heat.

Alexander-Walker and Daniels potentially sitting out Sunday’s game would free up rotation minutes for multiple players, including Gabe Vincent and Keaton Wallace. Neither is a particularly safe streaming option for managers in active fantasy leagues.

The betting favorite for Most Improved Player honors had another good night on Wednesday, shooting over 50 percent from the field in the 122-116 defeat. Alexander-Walker has scored 20 points or more in four straight and eight of his last nine appearances. Atlanta, which needs to win one of its next two games to avoid the Play-In tournament, hosts the Cavaliers on Friday.

NAW has enjoyed a breakout first season with Atlanta, and he just continues to get better. He has provided third-round value in nine-category leagues this season, but over the past month, he ranks inside the top 10. This was his 10th game scoring at least 30 points this season, which is a mark he has achieved just 15 times in his career. This was also the fourth time in his career that he hit at least seven triples in a game, with all of those coming this season. He has certainly made a strong case to win the Most Improved Player award.

Alexander-Walker, one of the favorites for Most Improved Player honors, continues to flourish in Atlanta. He’s scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven appearances, and the Hawks guard also recorded three blocked shots on Friday. Expected by many fantasy managers to offer late-round value before the season began, Alexander-Walker has been a top-50 player in category leagues.

Alexander-Walker finished Wednesday’s blowout victory with his ninth 30-point game of the season, and he only played the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. The Hawks’ guard has scored at least 20 points in five of his last six appearances, and the 32 points were the most in a game for him since dropping 41 on the Magic on March 16. Atlanta plays just one more game in Week 23, but it’s against the lottery-bound Nets, which may be good news for those rostering Alexander-Walker.