Nickeil Alexander-Walker 19 Points Full Highlights (11/17/2019)

One of the key components of being an efficient NBA scorer is something a lot of people don’t think about: free throws. Free throws are lame, no one likes watching them, everyone wishes they weren’t part of the game but can’t figure out how to get rid of them, they’re the least basketball-y part of basketball. But they’re vital for winning games, and for being successful as a player.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker agrees with the NBA-viewing populace and seems to be boycotting the foul line. He is doing this by avoiding getting fouled while shooting. In general, I’m in favor of such a strategy, because I don’t like my vids getting clogged with too many free throws. But it’s not helping him out as he struggles early in his career.

Before this game (and it will get worse, because he shot 18 times tonight without a free throw), he was attempting 18 field goals per 36 with only 2 free throws. That’s not the worst free throw rate in the league, in fact there are a bunch of people with worse (mainly three-point specialists, and Isaiah Thomas), but it shows that he really loves his jumper a little too much for how bricky it is.

I mean, I love his jumper too. Don’t get me wrong. It has some sweet arc on it, I’m a total sucker for dudes with a high-arcing jumpers. And maybe he’s too skinny to be going hard in the paint on every position. But it’s just something to keep an eye on.

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