NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Detroit Pistons
By Ian Levy
3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Guard, Virginia Tech
Alexander-Walker had a great season for Virginia Tech and his combination of size and playmaking is appealing. He’ll draw some comparisons to his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Alexander-Walker may actually be a better shooter at this point. With the size to defend three positions and the experience of acting as a primary ball-handler, there’s a lot to like, especially for a Pistons team that could really use shooting and help with secondary creation. However, Alexander-Walker’s ceiling may not be as high as it appears.
While his spot-up shooting will likely translate he’s probably not going to be nearly as effective shooting on the move or pulling-up off the dribble. He also has fairly average burst and explosion which will limit his creation ability when matched up against NBA-level defenders. Put him in the starting lineup and he might just be a 3-and-D player. Give him some experience and slot him in against an opponent’s second-unit and those creation abilities might be more viable. His ceiling is lower than some of the Pistons’ other options but he does check a lot of boxes.