Tag: Nickeil Alexander-Walker

2020 NBA Rising Stars: Williamson, Morant among rookies selected

Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were among the 10 rookies selected to play in the Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant were among the rookies selected to play in the 2020 NBA Rising Stars game during All-Star Weekend in Chicago.

The 26th Rising Stars game will pit 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the United States against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world in the league’s annual showcase.

Williamson was chosen to participate in the game as an injury replacement for Chicago Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. after the second-year player recently suffered a sprained ankle. Carter is expected to be out until after the All-Star break.

NBA assistant coaches selected the Rising Stars rosters, with each of the league’s 30 teams submitting one ballot per coaching staff. A ballot consisted of four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position group for each team. Voters also had to choose a minimum of three first-year NBA players and three second-year NBA players for each team.

Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.

Report: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander commits to Canada for 2020 Olympics

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would bring quality guard play to Team Canada in next summer’s Olympics.

Canada has produced some of the NBA’s best international talent, along with countries in Europe as well as Australia.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best Canadian-born players in the NBA. With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics a year away, Gilgeous-Alexander announced Tuesday on Twitter his commitment to Canada.

Along with Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray also said Tuesday on Twitter he was committed to playing for Canada.

Per Josh Lewenberg of The Sports Network, New York Knicks rookie R.J. Barrett announced his commitment Wednesday.

A second-year player out of Kentucky, Gilgeous-Alexander would bring quality guard play to Canada. With himself, Murray and Barrett, Canada would boast some of the best guard depth in the Olympics. New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker also announced his commitment Tuesday.

Canada, along with countries such as Australia and Serbia, has the potential to present Team USA with some problems. The world is filled with great basketball players, and the talent pool for next year’s Olympics will perhaps be the deepest and best it has ever been.

Gilgeous-Alexander is having a good start to his sophomore season. He leads the Thunder in scoring, and he’s averaging career-highs in points (19.3), rebounds (5.3) and 3-point percentage (40.3%).

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Ja Morant continues reign on top in Week 4

Rookie Wire took a look at the top rookies through the fourth week of the 2019-20 NBA season.

As the NBA heads into a new week, the rookie class appears to be settling into the 2019-20 season.

The players that have performed well to this point are continuing to make a splash and others are beginning to rise up the ranks onto the mainstream radar after some strong recent outings.

Rookie Wire will compile the rankings of the five best players each week based on how they performed on the court. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but, rather, to illustrate the top-performing players week to week.

Here are the Rookie Wire Power Rankings for Week 4:

Week 1 Power Rankings | Week 2 Power Rankings | Week 3 Power Rankings

All stats are through games played on Nov. 19

5. R.J. Barrett, Knicks

Stats: 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals

Rank Last Week: 4

While questions still linger about his workload, Barrett continues to go out and perform for the Knicks. As discussed on a recent episode of The HoopsHype Podcast with Alex Kennedy, the Knicks would like to prioritize Barrett seeing heavy minutes in order to work through his mistakes on the court to grow as a player. Barrett has shown that he isn’t afraid of the moment playing in New York and is showing maturity at his age. His efficiency has improved some after shooting 42.9% from 3-point range over his last three games and, suddenly, the Knicks have won two of three and could be on the verge of turning the corner.

4. Brandon Clarke, Grizzlies

Stats: 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks

Rank Last Week: 5

Clarke continues to impress for the Grizzlies. The 21st overall pick has scored in double figures in seven straight games and is shooting 61.9% from the floor this season. As mentioned last week, Clarke is staying within his game, isn’t forcing things and is taking the shots he is comfortable with: Floaters, mid-range, layups, etc. With Ja Morant handling the bulk of the ball-handling duties, Clarke doesn’t need to be ultra-aggressive, which allows him to play his game. He is shooting 44.4% (8-of-18) from 3-point range and has been highly effective on offense.

3. Eric Paschall, Warriors

Stats: 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists

Rank Last Week: 3

If you had second-round pick Eric Paschall as the first rookie this season to record multiple 30-point games, give yourself a pat on the back because Paschall recently accomplished that feat on Sunday. He recorded 30 points for the Warriors in a loss to the Pelicans and previously had a career-high 34 earlier in the month. Paschall is now second among rookies in total points scored this season, trailing only Ja Morant. While the Warriors have certainly struggled this season, and could be on the verge of missing the playoffs, Paschall has emerged as a bright spot in an otherwise down season.

2. Kendrick Nunn, Heat

Stats: 17.8 points, 3.2 assists, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 steals

Rank Last Week: 2

Kendrick Nunn has been an absolute revelation this season for the Heat and is a huge reason why they are third in the Eastern Conference. Nunn was recently nominated for the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, the second time he has been a finalist, after scoring at least 20 points in three straight games. He is second among all rookies in scoring average and first in field goals made and 3-pointers made. Nunn is on pace to shatter a number of Heat franchise rookie records and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon.

1. Ja Morant, Grizzlies

Stats: 18.5 points, 6 assists, 3.2 rebounds

Rank Last Week: 1

Ja Morant continues his reign atop the Power Rankings for the third straight week. The Grizzlies guard is first in scoring among all rookies and is averaging 20.3 points over his last four games. He has proven to be a player the Grizzlies can trust in late-game situations as evident by his game-winner on Nov. 13 against the Charlotte Hornets. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr compared him to Allen Iverson given his size and toughness and it is easy to see the similarities between the two. While the Grizzlies may not be a playoff team this season, Morant has them as a must-watch team on League Pass.

Honorable Mention:

Coby White, Bulls: 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists

The Bulls rookie has that boom-or-bust potential that daily fantasy users know about all too well. White recently became the first rookie in NBA history to hit at least six 3-pointers in consecutive games but followed that up with a seven-point effort on Saturday. White will need to work on gaining consistency this season off of the bench but he has proven to have his moments in a small sample size.

Tyler Herro, Heat: 13.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists

An ankle injury limited Herro to just two games over the last week but Herro still put up 14 points per game in those outings. Herro has proven to be a solid scoring option off of the bench that can seemingly get hot at any moment. He ranks fifth in scoring among all rookies in the early going this season.

Rui Hachimura, Wizards: 13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists

Hachimura had a bit of a quiet week after managing just 14 points in his last two games after scoring 21 on Nov. 13 against the Boston Celtics. He remains a work in progress on defense but has looked to be a better scorer and shooter than he was in college last season. Though he may not be among the best rookies yet, he has had a solid start to his career.

On the Rise:

Cameron Johnson, Suns: 9.1 points, 3.2 rebounds

Suns head coach Monty Williams recently shortened his rotation, paving the way for more playing time for Johnson. He is up to 11th in scoring among rookies and his 40.4% shooting from 3-point range is seventh among first-year players that have at least eight appearances this season.

Terence Davis, Raptors: 5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists

While his overall numbers don’t jump off of the page, he is averaging 8.5 points per game and shooting 50% from 3-point range over his last six games as he sees more time on the court.

Shout Out:

Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Pelicans: 7.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists

Alexander-Walker recently had a two-game stretch in which he tallied 46 total points but followed that up with a three-point outing on Tuesday night. His playing time has been sporadic so it has likely been a bit tough to settle in but he has shown flashes recently.

Daniel Gafford, Bulls: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks

With an injury to Luke Kornet, the second-round pick stepped up in his first extended look of the season, recording a team-high 21 points on Monday night. If he can continue seeing consistent playing time, Gafford could be a name to look out for this season.

Dropped Out:

P.J. Washington, Hornets

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Coach Alvin Gentry pleased with Pelicans’ youth stepping up in win over Warriors

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry is optimistic the burn his team’s young core is getting in the wake of multiple injuries to the team’s veterans will contribute to a winning culture long-term.

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The win might have come against the league-worst Golden State Warriors, but New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry was pleased with how his team responded just the same.

Gutting out their fourth win of the season with a late offensive outburst despite not having more than half their roster available due to injury, the team came away with a 108-100 victory through the contributions of both their veteran backcourt and a solid starting debut by rookie big man Jaxson Hayes.

Gentry acknowledged the extraordinary play of the Warriors’ young core who have been doing much of the team’s heavy lifting, particularly forward Eric Paschall, who logged his second 30-point outing of the season in the Warrior’s loss.

“They [have] a bunch of guys that are trying to establish [themselves] in the league,” he offered (via the New Orleans Pelicans). “But I thought we did everything that we needed to [get] the win. You know, J.J. [Redick] made a big shot … Jrue [Holiday] made a couple of big shots … to come away with a win is what we wanted to do and that’s what we accomplished.”

Both teams had off nights in terms of efficiency, and the Pels had trouble with the Warrior’s frontcourt, particularly Paschall — a fact not lost on Gentry. “Obviously, we didn’t shoot the ball very good,” he added, referencing the team’s 41.6 % shooting from the floor on the night.

“We still continue to struggle with keeping the ball out of the paint. “We’ve got to do a much better job,”, he added.

The Pelicans coach saw a lot of positive growth for the mostly-younger players who were able to step up and provide quality minutes in the wake of so many veterans being out hurt, especially Hayes (10 points and boards apiece with 3 blocks), forward Nicolo Melli (16 points and 5 rebounds) and guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (19 points, 5 boards and 4 assists).

“I don’t think anything can take the place of experience of being in the game,” noted the New Orleans coach. “Learning from your mistakes or just figuring out what you can do to help the team.”

Gentry is optimistic the win is helping to lay a foundation for success once the team’s more seasoned players are able to return to action. With Lonzo Ball (hip), Brandon Ingram (knee), Derrick Favors (back), Jahlil Okafor (ankle), Frank Jackson (neck) and Josh Hart (knee) all out for the short term and rookie phenom Zion Wilson out until at least mid-December, the trio of healthy rookies may yet see some burn over the Pels’ next few games.

“Hopefully, this is going to be something that helps us down the road,” explained Gentry, “because when we do get healthy and get all the players back, then I think our depth will help even more because these guys will be put in a situation where they’ve got to play 25, 35 minutes.”

“At the end of the day, you have to be out there,” he added “You have to experience what it’s like in rotation, what it’s like setting the screen and rolling to the basket and the decisions that you have to make.”

With a tough west coast trip ahead after Tuesday’s home game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Pelicans may have to settle for mostly moral victories in the coming weeks. But should Gentry’s suspicions about the value of live game action prove correct, the future of the team ought to be the brighter for it.