What happened: The Atlanta Hawks highlighted Nickeil Alexander-Walker's dramatic scoring rise this season, noting his 11.4-point-per-game increase ranks as the third-largest over the last 25 years. Only CJ McCollum and Zach Randolph have posted bigger single-season jumps in that span. Alexander-Walker paired the surge with a 9% shooting efficiency.

Why it matters: A scoring leap of that scale signals a guard stepping firmly into a larger offensive role rather than simply absorbing extra volume. Doing it on For Atlanta, an ascending two-way guard reshapes the team's backcourt outlook heading into the offseason.

What to watch: Watch whether Alexander-Walker carries the efficiency gains into an expanded role next season and how Atlanta builds its rotation around his rise.