Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker was left off a prominent list of the NBA's top 10 shooting guards following his breakout 2025-26 campaign. This omission comes as the Hawks look to build on a recent 2W-0D-3L run, including a tough 89-140 loss to the New York Knicks on April 30, 2026.
Looking at the published list, Alexander-Walker's exclusion is hard to justify against several names. He averaged 20.9 points per game last season, outscoring listed guard Tyler Herro's 20.5. Alexander-Walker also shot a superior 39.9% from three-point range compared to Herro's 37.8%.
Defensively, Alexander-Walker is widely considered the better player. Herro might be a more dynamic creator off the dribble, but Alexander-Walker made clear strides in that area. Ranking Herro ahead seems to lean on reputation over recent performance.
Derrick White's place above him is more understandable, though White's three-point efficiency dropped last year. Rookie VJ Edgecombe wasn't better than Alexander-Walker in 2025-26, but projecting his growth makes the ranking a bold, if debatable, choice.
The list's composition highlights how fluid the 'shooting guard' label has become. Amen Thompson, ranked fourth, is a fantastic player but hardly a traditional off-guard. He struggles as a shooter and often functions as a point forward.
Thompson lined up at the two for Houston due to their defensive, wing-heavy scheme. Calling him a better shooting guard than Alexander-Walker is tricky, even if he's the better overall talent. This positional vagueness might have cost Alexander-Walker a spot.
For the Hawks, Alexander-Walker's snub is secondary to on-court results. The team's focus is on improving after a challenging end to their season series with the Knicks. Their last five games featured wins on April 21 (107-106) and April 23 (109-108), but also three consecutive losses to close the stretch.
Those losses included a 114-98 defeat on April 25, a 126-97 loss on April 29, and the 140-89 result on April 30. Alexander-Walker's continued development is key to reversing that form. He proved last season he can be a primary scoring option and a reliable perimeter defender.
There simply aren't ten shooting guards who would help the Hawks win more than he can. Using this slight as motivation could fuel another leap in his game. The Hawks need him to be a cornerstone as they plan for the future, which fans can track through our stats page.
Alexander-Walker still has plenty to prove to gain league-wide respect. His 2025-26 performance warranted a top-10 discussion. He outperformed Herro and Edgecombe, and had a strong case against White.
Individual rankings are less important than winning. Alexander-Walker's response to this snub will be telling. If he channels it into his offseason work, the Hawks will benefit significantly. The team's roster construction, including finding the right pieces to complement his skills, will be a major storyline.
His ability to handle the ball and create shots improved last year, and maintaining that progress is essential. For Atlanta, building a consistent winner is the only list that truly matters.
