Jazz HC Praises Nickeil Alexander-Walker's Performance in L.A.

The Utah Jazz keep finding ways to win. On the heels of a 130-116 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the Jazz stand at 7-3 on the season.

No one saw it coming after the veritable fire-sale Jazz executive Danny Ainge held this past offseason, dealing away stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, along with key role players like Royce O'Neale and Bojan Bogdanovic. Without a bonafide star, it was difficult to project a way forward for Utah. 

How would the Jazz win? 

The answer turned out to be an impressive form of team basketball that arguably no other NBA squad can match in 2022-23. Each night, it seems, a different player, or collection of guys, contributes to an unlikely win. 

One of the unsung contributors to Utah's win in L.A. on Friday night was Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The third-year player entered late in the third quarter as Utah began to see its lead erode. 

In just 7:47 of play-time, NAW contributed six points and a rebound down the stretch, helping the Jazz to put this game away. After the game, head coach Will Hardy gave Alexander-Walker some big props. 

"Somebody that stands out, in particular, is Nickeil Alexander-Walker coming in at the end of the third quarter when the momentum is not necessarily in our favor," Hardy said. "He hadn't played all night, and he came in and delivered for us, played great minutes to kind of stem the tide and let some guys sit on the bench and rest for a few minutes."

As a bench contributor, NAW is receiving just 7.8 minutes of play-time per game, but he's making them count, averaging 4.3 points per game for the Jazz. Traded twice in a matter of two days, Alexander Walker landed in Utah (by way of Portland, by way of New Orleans) this past February. 

The Virginia Tech product was selected in the first round by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft.