2019 NBA Mock Draft: Searching for clarity two weeks from draft night

As we continue to re-scout the top prospects in this draft class, the Heat’s need for a guard burst through more than most weeks with Nassir Little and Sekou Doumbouya appearing to be fairly likely top-10 picks at this point.

That thrust Alexander-Walker back into the lottery despite a relative lack of athleticism and questionable defensive instincts. To get a better read on the sophomore, we watched his performance on the road against Florida State back on March 5.

Here are our takeaways as the Hokies neared the end of a rough patch of their season without point guard Justin Robinson:

• Virginia Tech is not a terribly talented defensive team because of their lack of overall athleticism, but even by that standard, Alexander-Walker’s poor instincts off the ball stood out. The Hokies wiggled in and out of zone but failed to D up once they got back to man or needed to rotate. Alexander-Walker was one of the worst culprits.
• One way Alexander-Walker makes up for below-par athleticism is as a smart, decisive cutter. He creates gravity and can finish at awkward angles on the move.
• Another way Alexander-Walker tries to use his shot-making to overcome a relative lack of athleticism is by stepping back for jumpers. In the post, this works fairly well, but when he tries James Harden-type step-back 3s, it goes poorly. One was blocked.
• As FanSided draft analyst Jackson Frank notes in the scouting report linked below, Alexander-Walker displays strong, accurate skip passes across the court that can break down the defense early in a possession.

There seems to be a clear distinction between Virginia Tech with and without Robinson, but Alexander-Walker’s individual weaknesses show up regardless. He will need to become a knockdown 3-point shooter to become a Landry Shamet-type role player in the NBA.

Check out our full scouting report on Nickeil Alexander-Walker.