The Pistons struck out on a chance to add a proper second option in last summer’s free agency. They were unable to secure the services of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and every passing game makes that pain burn sharper. Alexander-Walker is having a career year offensively and developing into exactly the type of secondary scorer the Pistons will need in the playoffs.
After NAW signed with the Hawks, the Pistons elected to pick up Caris LeVert instead for a backup creator role. LeVert has been extremely disappointing this season and is gradually losing his rotation minutes to other players. Meanwhile, Alexander-Walker just had a career-high 41 points on Monday.
The Pistons would be unstoppable with Alexander-Walker
Going into last summer, NAW was touted as a 3-and-D guard after a few successful seasons as a role player in Minnesota. But he’s quickly developed beyond that offensively this season. He’s doubled his career scoring average to 20 points per game while maintaining the same efficiency as last year - 44% from the field and 39% from three.
The only difference is that Alexander-Walker is taking significantly more shots now and much harder ones. He’s creating for himself off the dribble rather than hanging out in the corner for a kickout pass. But he’s still a lethal shooter in spot-up situations as well.
All in all, Alexander-Walker is proving himself to be a perfect secondary option. He’s capable of getting his own bucket and running the offense when needed. But he can also play well off of stars, especially one with the playmaking ability of Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons had to settle for a lesser option
Compare Alexander-Walker’s season with Caris LeVert and it’s obvious which one any team would prefer. LeVert has been much less efficient - 41% from the field and 34% from three - while having less volume and going up against bench units.
The Hawks were more than happy to let him go after they got Alexander-Walker in free agency. And although NAW has taken a step back in his defense as he’s taken on more scoring load, he’s still better on that end than LeVert. In fact, NAW is top 25 in the league in overall steals.
But the Pistons didn’t just miss out on Alexander-Walker by choice or an inability to recruit. They had less cap space than Atlanta last summer and were hesitant to dish out longer-term contracts for veterans. None of their free agent acquisitions had more than 2 years of guaranteed money.
Next summer, the Pistons will need to be more aggressive and bring in upgrades even at the cost of salary cap space and future flexibility. The young core has grown to a competitive level but they need the right complementary pieces to be true contenders. They can’t let another piece like NAW still through their fingers again for trivial reasons.