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ESPN analyst makes case for Nickeil Alexander-Walker as Sixth Man of the Year

Alexander-Walker is averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for the Wolves this season.

Nolan O'Hara

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker prepares to play the New Orleans Pelicans before the game at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 21, 2025.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Nickeil Alexander-Walker prepares to play the New Orleans Pelicans before the game at Target Center in Minneapolis on March 21, 2025. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
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The Minnesota Timberwolves boast the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Naz Reid. Could they see another winner in 2025?

Not realistically. Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is far and away the favorite to win the award with -1,400 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, which gives Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley the next-best odds at +500. While no Timberwolves players, not even Reid, are in the top five for best odds, that didn't stop ESPN's Tim Bontemps for making a Sixth Man of the Year case for Reid's teammate, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, on the network's The Hoop Collective podcast.

"Naz Reid, who won it last year, will probably get some votes again," Bontemps said on the podcast Monday. "But it's his teammate, to me, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who I think is going to be very high on my ballot. Like, he has had a fantastic year for the Wolves. Really good two-way player, guards multiple positions, really good shooter, can handle the ball.

"Obviously, Mike Conley's been in and out of the lineup with some injuries; (Alexander-Walker) stepped in and handled point-guard duties a bunch. We saw him hit that huge — those huge free throws the other day when he got fouled at the end of the game by (Denver Nuggets guard Russell) Westbrook in that crazy Wolves-Nuggets game. He's just had an awesome year, and I think he's gonna be pretty squarely in my consideration for my ballot, too."

Bontemps did choose Pritchard as his Sixth Man of the Year, but that's pretty high praise for Alexander-Walker, who's been among Minnesota's most consistent players this season. He's played in all 78 games, including 10 starts, and is averaging 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 44% from the field and 39% from 3-point range.

Alexander-Walker's numbers don't quite compare with top contenders in Pritchard (14.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.4 apg) and Beasley (16.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.7 apg), and other top-five oddsgetters like Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (+4,000), Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (+15,000) and Cavs guard Ty Jerome (+15,000) average double-digit scoring figures.

Nevertheless, Alexander-Walker has been incredibly consistent on both ends of the floor and is a big reason why the season didn't slip away from the Wolves when they missed the likes of Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, Rudy Gobert and Conley for extended stretches with injuries. Alexander-Walker almost certainly won't win Sixth Man of the Year, but he should absolutely be in the conversation and is now being recognized on the national level for his efforts night in and out.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.

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