{"id":706963,"date":"2026-04-09T23:48:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T23:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/706963\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T23:48:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T23:48:29","slug":"shai-gilgeous-alexander-endorses-nickeil-alexander-walker-for-nbas-most-improved-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/706963\/","title":{"rendered":"Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Endorses Nickeil Alexander-Walker for NBA’s Most Improved Player"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ANickeil Alexander-Walker’s breakout season has earned him high praise from his cousin, the reigning NBA MVP.Atlanta Today<\/p>\n

Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker is having a breakout season, averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game and leading his team to the playoffs. His cousin, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, recently endorsed Alexander-Walker for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, saying “he better win.” The race for the award has been tight, but Alexander-Walker’s dominant play since March has made him the frontrunner.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

Alexander-Walker’s rise to stardom this season has been remarkable, going from a role player averaging just 9.4 points per game last year to leading the Hawks’ playoff push. His cousin Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, recognizing his breakout campaign further validates Alexander-Walker’s case for the Most Improved Player award.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

In his seventh NBA season, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has taken a massive leap, improving his scoring average from 9.4 points per game last year to 20.9 this season. His strong play has been crucial in helping the Atlanta Hawks reach the playoffs for the first time in several years. After the Thunder’s recent victory, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alexander-Walker’s cousin, endorsed him for the Most Improved Player award, saying “he better win.” While other players like the Pistons’ Jalen Duren have also made strong cases, Alexander-Walker’s impact on winning sets him apart as the frontrunner for the award.<\/p>\n

Alexander-Walker is averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game this season.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander endorsed Alexander-Walker for the Most Improved Player award after the Thunder’s game on April 8, 2026.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/p>\n

A seventh-year guard for the Atlanta Hawks who is having a breakout season, averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game and leading his team to the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/p>\n

The reigning NBA MVP and Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s cousin, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.<\/p>\n

Ryan Rollins<\/p>\n

A player who has also made a strong case for the Most Improved Player award, though his team has not seen the same level of success as the Hawks.<\/p>\n

Jalen Duren<\/p>\n

A rising star with the Detroit Pistons who has also been mentioned as a candidate for the Most Improved Player award.<\/p>\n

Got photos? Submit your photos here. \u203a<\/a>
\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, he better win.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder Star<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The NBA will announce the winner of the Most Improved Player award at the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s breakout season with the Atlanta Hawks has been recognized by his cousin and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who believes Alexander-Walker deserves to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Alexander-Walker’s dominant play since March has made him the frontrunner for the award, cementing his status as a rising star in the league.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s breakout season has earned him high praise from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":706964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3776],"tags":[676,208,3874,7,677,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-706963","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-atlanta-hawks","8":"tag-atlanta","9":"tag-atlanta-hawks","10":"tag-atlantahawks","11":"tag-basketball","12":"tag-hawks","13":"tag-nba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116377428289308674","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=706963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/706963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/706964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=706963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=706963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=706963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}