How Nickeil Alexander-Walker emerged as the X-factor in Nuggets-Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS – The Nuggets’ 114-108 Game 4 overtime loss can be boiled down to a few major talking points.

• Nuggets players not named Nikola Jokic shot 27-68 (39.7%) from the floor.
• Denver got out-rebounded 51-47 and gave up 14 offensive rebounds.
• The Nuggets did not shoot well from 3-point range — 12-35 (34.3%) as a team. Several of those makes came late in the game too.
• In overtime, the Timberwolves shot 6-8 overall and 4-6 from 3-point range.
• Jamal Murray scored 19 points on just 8-21 (38.1%) shooting

Let’s focus in on that last bullet point.

You can’t put this loss solely on Murray’s shoulders, but a better shooting game from him and Denver would have been in a better position Sunday night to sweep the series. Murray also shot 1-8 from the floor in the second half but did have two buckets in overtime — one sweeping layup around Rudy Gobert and a breakaway layup off a Jokic hail mary.

One reason for Murray’s struggles was the presence of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who has emerged as the Timberwolves’ defensive X-factor and was in the starting lineup again for Minnesota in Game 4. He was the primary matchup on Murray and held the Nuggets guard under 20 points for the second-straight game. Murray’s point total isn’t always a great representation of how well a defender guards him — just because of the number of Nuggets players who can typically put up points — but in Game 4 it was.

Of note on Alexander-Walker….He’s 6-5 1/2 with a 6-9 wingspan and is known for his defense. He locked down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s also his cousin, in the Timberwolves’ play-in victory over the Thunder to get Minnesota into the playoffs, and he’s guarded Murray way more than any other Timberwolves defender in this series. He’s also Canadian, like Murray. Alexander-Walker is from Toronto, which is around an hour east of Murray’s hometown of Kitchener. He knows Murray’s game well.

Murray is shooting 6-27 this series and has turned the ball over five times when guarded by Alexander-Walker, per NBA.com tracking data. That data isn’t perfect, and I think it paints the picture that Murray has been bothered by Alexander-Walker more than he actually has been. But Alexander-Walker’s defense has been effective.

The Timberwolves certainly think so.

“Nickeil Alexander-Walker has gorilla nuts.”

That’s what was picked up on a microphone during Alexander-Walker’s postgame interview in the Timberwolves locker room after Game 4, courtesy of Anthony Edwards — I think that praise also had a lot to do with Alexander-Walker, who’s not an intimidating 3-point shooter even though he’s now converted on 43.8% of his 3s this series, dropping in two back-breaking triples from the left corner in overtime of Game 4.

Here's a little postgame from tonight. Note: Listen closely for Ant commentary at the start of the NAW byte. #Timberwolves #RaisedByWolves pic.twitter.com/NG8rtc2ScV

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) April 24, 2023

Alexander-Walker has length and that can be bother Murray around the rim — even if Murray initially gets past him via an Aaron Gordon screen here.

Here’s more of that length from Game 4.

Murray can make this shot, but he has to fade away due to Alexander-Walker’s length. His presence makes this a way tough look.

From Game 1: Murray’s focus is on shielding the ball away from Alexander-Walker on this drive, and he doesn’t sense Edwards sneaking in to poke the ball free from behind.

Here’s a turnover from Game 3 where Alexander-Walker’s ball pressure forces Murray to take a chance on a what might have been an impossible pass to complete.

There are ways to counter Alexander-Walker, and freeing Murray up more in Game 5 is an adjustment I’m expecting Denver to make. That’s what Micahel Malone hinted at in his postgame comments.

“Give him credit. He’s done a really good job,” Michael Malone said of Alexander-Walker after Game 4. “He’s had a harassing, hounding — we’ve got to look to set screens for Jamal earlier, maybe in the back court, free him up, get him some momentum up the floor, and even get the ball out of Jamal’s hands so he’s not fighting that for 94-feet every possession, because that can really wear you down. As well as maybe getting a secondary ball handler out there with him.”

I’d look for a steady amount of ball screens to be set for Murray near half-court to free him from Alexander-Walker in Game 5. The Nuggets tried it on this possession in Game 2 — and it worked — but Murray wasn’t prepared for how high up the floor Kyle Anderson was playing. He’ll have to anticipate that going forward in the series.

Malone also mentioned that the Nuggets may look to get another ball-handler on the floor with Murray to get him playing off the ball. Murray has already been logging minutes with Bruce Brown on the second unit, and I’d expect that to continue. Maybe he plays more with Brown?

Malone wouldn’t throw Reggie Jackson out there at this point in the series, right? That feels like a massive overreaction to one playoff loss. I also doubt Jackson would really help that much.

It’s not like Murray has been totally shut-out while guarded by Alexander-Walkers in this series either. He’s scored on him 1-on-1 and the Nuggets have been successful screening for Murray and getting another defender switched onto him at times. Murray also has a 40-point game in this series. It was in Game 2 — the one game Alexander-Walker didn’t start for Minnesota — but he still logged several possession where he guarded Murray, including this one.

The Nuggets should close out the Timberwolves in Game 5 on Tuesday, but there are adjustments to be made. Let’s see what Denver comes up with.

Because one more Murray Flurry and this series will be over.