Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging north of 20 points per game for Atlanta, a career high by a significant margin and far more offensive production than he delivered in two full seasons with the Timberwolves.

Which will, of course, raise questions as to why such an offensive explosion didn’t occur in Minnesota —though the answers seem obvious.

Alexander-Walker was the seventh man in Minnesota, while he has started the bulk of Atlanta’s contests this season due to injuries to Hawks guard Trae Young.

The 27-year-old is averaging 32.8 minutes per game this season, seven more than he did a year ago with the Wolves.

Yet the biggest reason for the uptick in scoring is freedom of role. Alexander-Walker is second on the Hawks in both points (20.6) and field-goal attempts (15.7) per game. That volume of shooting was never going to be achieved on a roster already featuring the likes of Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle (or Karl-Anthony Towns before him), Donte DiVincenzo and Naz Reid, among others.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrates his 3-point basket against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter of Game Two of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Target Center on May 8, 2025 in Minneapolis. (David Berding/Getty Images)

Your circumstances often determine your production. Basketball remains a role-driven sport. Your job is to do what is asked of you to help your specific team succeed. Minnesota didn’t need high-volume scoring. Atlanta does.

Kudos to Alexander-Walker – who landed a well-earned, four-year, $60 million free-agent deal with Atlanta via sign and trade this offseason that the cap-strapped Wolves had no chance to compete with – for stepping into either role when asked to do so. But just because he’s scoring more doesn’t mean this is the maximized version of the two-way standout.

Alexander-Walker’s perimeter defense and energy has been sorely missed for much of the first half of this season in Minnesota. Every time he was inserted into the game, Alexander-Walker set a standard of a high compete level.

His defensive tenacity is what initially earned Alexander-Walker a spot in Minnesota’s rotation, with his role only growing over time as he continued to execute his responsibilities. The Timberwolves frequently appear to be one on-ball defender short. And their effort on that end of the floor has been inconsistent at times. Minnesota has had difficulty replacing his production off the pine.

Plug Alexander-Walker into the same spot in the rotation he occupied a year ago in Minnesota, and the Wolves would instantly improve as a team.

Atlanta isn’t getting that same defensive prowess from Alexander-Walker. The Hawks are 19th in defensive rating this season, compared to 18th a year ago. Individually, opponents are shooting 53.8% this season while being guarded by Alexander-Walker, who held opponents under 50% in each of the previous two seasons.

The basketball analytics website Dunks and Threes measures a player’s impact on offense and defense with “estimated plus-minus.” While Alexander-Walker’s offensive impact puts him in the 86th percentile, his defensive impact has dropped to the 71st percentile, a steep fall off from the 88th and 95th percentile spaces he occupied the previous two seasons in Minnesota.

Other advanced metrics all tell the same story. Alexander-Walker’s value over a replacement player, wins above replacement per 48 minutes. and box plus-minus are all significantly lower than they were during his time in Minnesota.

And Alexander Walker’s offensive production isn’t necessarily leading to wins. He has scored 20-plus points eight times this month. The Hawks are 0-8 in those contests.

Inevitably, that additional offensive responsibility leads to slippage in the guard’s defensive performance. And if you’re leaning heavily on Alexander-Walker to lead the charge offensively on a night-to-night basis, you’re probably not winning many games.

While his offensive skillset is growing with each passing year, Alexander-Walker’s elite NBA traits will always rest on the defensive end of the floor.

Atlanta enters Wednesday’s New Year’s Eve matinee against the Wolves with a 15-19 record.

Minnesota at its best with Alexander-Walker. It’s quite possible the inverse was true, as well.

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Wolves beat Bulls

Naz Reid scored a season-high 33 points off the bench, Anthony Edwards added 23, and the Minnesota Timberwolves routed the Bulls 136-101 on Monday night in Chicago after the Bulls lost top scorers Coby White and Josh Giddey mid-game to injuries.

Julius Randle had 17 points as Minnesota pulled away in the third quarter in the opener of a four-game trip. Donte DiVincenzo and Bones Hyland scored 12 each as Minnesota shot 53.7% after a cold start.

Nikola Vucevic led Chicago with 23 points, but the depleted Bulls couldn’t keep pace and lost a second straight following a five-game winning streak that had lifted them back to .500. Chicago shot just 40.9%, and committed 16 turnovers compared to three by Minnesota.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Bitcoin Depot operates the largest network of Bitcoin ATMs in the world, and it guards its territories zealously. Case in point: a new lawsuit filed against the city of St. Paul for banning all crypto-currency ATMs within the city limits.

The 11-page lawsuit, filed Dec. 22 in Ramsey County District Court, seeks a declaratory judgment and permanent injunction against the city, with the goal of upending the ordinance approved by the St. Paul City Council in November. Pointing to state licensing regulations that it claims trump local ordinances, Bitcoin Depot filed a similar lawsuit against the city of Stillwater in Washington County District Court last September. It amended that complaint last Friday.

The industry-specific ATMs allow users to deposit cash into cryptocurrency accounts and convert their money to Bitcoin, a kind of virtual non-government currency, using a serial number. Crypto-currency ATMs have been linked to at least 51 scam reports statewide, amounting to $700,000 in losses in Minnesota alone, prompting a new statewide investigation by the Minnesota Attorney General’s office.

Bitcoin, the world’s first crypto-currency, was created in 2009, but municipal officials allege the ATMs charge such high mark-ups on conversions — as much as 20% to 30% or more — that they’re mostly used by fraudsters preying on seniors and other vulnerable customers unfamiliar with the industry.

State licensing trumps local bans?

Leading up to the St. Paul City Council’s November vote to ban the machines outright, St. Paul Police found at least 32 crypto-currency ATMS within the city limits, mostly in convenience stores and small grocers.

In its lawsuit, Bitcoin Depot notes it operates approximately 8,400 virtual currency kiosks and ATMs nationwide, including 111 in Minnesota, and offers a cashier-based check-out service called “BDCheckout” at 589 partner retailers throughout the state.

The company said it possesses a Minnesota money transmission license issued by the state Department of Commerce, which it claims should overrule any local ordinances created by individual municipalities. The state Legislature repealed and re-enacted the Minnesota Money Transmission Act in 2023, rewriting regulations around the storage and transmission of money based on a “uniform model act” developed by a trade association of money transmitters known as the Conference of State Bank Supervisors.

The new state regulations streamline licensure of money transmitters at the state level, while establishing that a person may not engage in a virtual-currency business unless licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The state Legislature added additional regulations specific to crypto-currency ATMS in 2024, requiring on-screen disclosures about risks and responsibilities, a refund of any transaction involving a new customer within 72 hours, and a maximum daily transaction limit of $2,000 for each customer.

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The lawsuit states: “Department of Commerce guidance reflects the viewpoint that the operator of a virtual currency kiosk must obtain a license from the Department, but, upon qualifying for and obtaining its license, the operator is entitled to conduct business in Minnesota.”

St. Paul has yet to file a response to the lawsuit. Stillwater, which banned crypto-currency ATMs in April, filed a proposed order in early December indicating it would respond to the Bitcoin Depot lawsuit within 10 days of the updated and amended complaint, which was filed Dec. 26.

A bicyclist died after he was struck by a driver in St. Paul last week, the police department said Tuesday.

Officers responded at about 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 to a report of a crash on Warner Road near U.S. 61.

St. Paul Fire Department medics took James Moo, 26, to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, said Sgt. Toy Vixayvong, a police spokesman. James Moo, of St. Paul, died the next day.

The driver stayed at the scene, was cooperative with officers and showed no signs of impairment, according to Vixayvong. The crash is under investigation.

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A family friend, Rose Say, remembered him as “a source of kindness, laughter, and support to everyone who knew him. His presence could light up a room, and their compassion left a lasting mark on our lives.”

She wrote in a GoFundMe (gofund.me/ad2d4b656) for his family’s funeral expenses and medical bills that “James was someone who always showed up for others. He was a brother, uncle and son. … Losing him has left an unimaginable hole in our hearts and in the lives of their family and friends.”

Paid leave applications will open Wednesday for eligible Minnesota workers and families for leaves beginning in the new year, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The early launch — a day ahead of time — will allow participants to “get a jumpstart on applying for this new benefit program,” according to a statement from DEED. “It comes after more than two and a half years of program design, construction and testing to ensure an effective, functional launch.”

Beginning on Thursday, Jan. 1, Minnesotans can take paid leave in order to care for themselves or loved ones. The program is a statewide paid family and medical leave option that allows those eligible to be paid and receive job-protected time off for events like a child’s birth or health care needs. It was passed by the Legislature in 2023.

While actual paid leave can’t begin until Jan. 1, filling out applications ahead of time will allow workers and their employers to plan for the leave period. Earlier this month, the paid leave program opened applications for those who had a new a child in 2025. More than 7,000 Minnesotans have applied already for leave to begin in 2026, according to DEED.

Initially, anywhere between 12,000 to 15,000 people are expected to use the new benefit, according to an actuarial analysis from 2024

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How to apply

Minnesota workers may apply for paid leave on Wednesday, Dec. 31. Go to paidleave.mn.gov to apply and to learn more about eligibility and benefits.

To call the paid leave contact center dial (651) 556-7777 or (844) 556-0444 (toll-free) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will be closed during state holidays, including New Year’s Day.