Can you still be underrated even after winning a major NBA award?
When it comes to Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the league’s reigning Most Improved Player, the answer might be yes.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Named Second-Most Underrated NBA Player
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – MARCH 10: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts after a three-point score during the third quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at State Farm Arena on March 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently named Alexander-Walker as the second-most underrated player in the entire NBA, behind only Boston Celtics big man Neemias Queta.
“Around the Association, there was obvious recognition for the breakout campaign Nickeil Alexander-Walker authored during his first season in Atlanta. By the time it was finished, he had fended off first-time All-Stars Jalen Duren and Deni Avdija to capture the coveted Most Improved Player award,” Buckley wrote.
“. . . But why stop the recognition there? Because maybe that campaign wasn’t the culmination, but rather the start of something really special. . . . Is anybody talking about him as a two-way star or something close to it? Because it kinda seems like we all should.”
Last season was Alexander-Walker’s first in Atlanta, and his first as a full-time starter. He made the most of the opportunity posting per-game averages of 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Specifically, Buckley thinks that Alexander-Walker’s overall impact on team success remains underrated, even while his numbers have increased.
“Widening the lens from individual accomplishments, though, he just keeps having a star-like impact on his team’s success,” Buckley wrote. “During his two full seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, they were 3.9 points better per 100 possessions with him than without. In his first season with the Hawks, that number jumped to plus-5.2 points per 100 possessions.”
After authoring his best professional season in ’25-26, Alexander-Walker will look to build off of that momentum moving forward.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker Was ‘Validated’ by Winning NBA Most Improved Player
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 22: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks dribbles during the second quarter against the Toronto Raptors at State Farm Arena on October 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
After winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award at the conclusion of the campaign, Alexander-Walker admitted that hoisting the hardware made him feel validated after all of his years of dedication to the game of basketball.
“It really validates my feelings. Sometimes I think everyone’s been through that where they feel something and other people might not, and they might not see it yet. And it’s kind of like that told you moment to not make you feel crazy,” Alexander-Walker said of winning the award.
“And a lot of times this game has made me feel delusional and just the beliefs that I had … honestly, it [hasn’t] set in. I go from moments of where I’m ready to break down in tears and then I’m just ready to just scream and just be happy.”
If Alexander-Walker turns in another productive season like the one he had last year, his days of appearing on underrated lists will soon be behind him.
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