NBA Draft 2019: Best and worst fits for all potential lottery picks

18. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 6-5 G, Virginia Tech

BEST: Boston Celtics

With a pair of point guards — all-star Kyrie Irving (23.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.9 APG) and backup Terry Rozier (9.0 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.9 APG) — heading into an uncertain free agency period where their futures in Boston are in doubt, the Celtics front office could (and should) be looking to adding another piece to the backcourt via the 2019 NBA Draft. While the fourteenth overall pick could be early for someone like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who could be available in the early 20s where the Celtics own two other picks, the fit sure does make since.

Alexander-Walker is a competent combo-guard with the potential to grow into a secondary-playmaker who could run bench units at the next level, thanks to underrated playmaking vision/touch, adequate point-of-attack defense and solid spot-up shooting that would allow him to play next to both 1’s and 2’s. And considering head coach Brad Stevens’ long-chronicled infatuation with playing multiple playmakers at a time, it’s fair to say that he’d be happy with finding a complementary piece for the backcourt, too.

WORST: Charlotte Hornets

This isn’t so much as an indictment on the basketball fit between Alexander-Walker and the Charlotte Hornets, but more so a concern over team-building philosophy and expectations. Kemba Walker’s (25.9 PPG, 5.9 APG) impending free agency looms large over the organization, as there is absolutely no guarantee that the eight-year veteran will return to a franchise that has proven incapable of reaching the postseason on a regular basis.

Because of this, the Hornets will likely be eyeing some of the 2019 Draft’s guards, understanding that it may be time to draft someone to be Walker’s longterm replacement. Alexander-Walker is a fine player, but would he live up the challenge of replacing Walker? Probably not, especially since the fanbase would likely hope that he could be the point guard of the future (a heavy load for any player).

As mentioned previously, he profiles more as a solid backup; he could surpass that projection, of course, as he’s certainly talented and has the chops to be a nice complementary guy. But for a team looking to add a star, he’s not it, and that’s certainly not a knock against him, it’s more so a knock against this draft class. (Plus, would Alexander-Walker, a skinny combo-guard, be viable defensively next to Malik Monk, a skinny combo-guard? Probably not.) Really, if the Hornets are to find their next lead guard through the draft, it’d be wise to wait until next year to do so.

The 2020 Draft class is overflowing with lead guard talent (Cole Anthony, Nico Mannion, Theo Maledon, Killian Hayes, RJ Hampton, Tre Jones, etc.), so it’d be wise to draft a wing/forward in June, sign a stop-gap veteran in July, and just wait it out until next offseason when you have a plethora of talented guards to choose from.