The silence of an empty arena after a playoff exit is usually where the real work begins. In the wake of their respective seasons, I spoke with two of the league’s most intriguing talents—Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker—to discuss how they process disappointment and transform it into an off-season blueprint.
Both players find themselves at a crossroads of sorts: Johnson as a breakout star proving he belongs in the bright lights, and Alexander-Walker as a “young vet” who has become a Swiss Army knife for winning basketball.
Jalen Johnson: “A Good Building Block”
For Jalen Johnson, the narrative of the season was simple: overachievement. Entering the year as an underdog, Johnson’s squad played with a chip on their shoulder that forced the rest of the league to take notice. When we spoke, I pointed out that many fans were drawn to their “play every night” mentality.
Johnson is already looking at the big picture. “I mean, we did a lot of things to build off of what we are as a group and an organization,” he told me. “I think it was a good, you know, building block for the direction that we’re going to head in. So, just continue to, like I said, man, just learn from this series, learn from everything about it, the good and the bad.”
Despite the early exit, Johnson isn’t hanging his head. Instead, he’s fueled by the taste of the postseason. “Just continue to, you know, use this summer and… everybody has the same mindset of just trying to get better,” he said. “So, I’m excited about what’s to come.”
I asked him if, as a kid, there was a specific playoff series he remembered watching that inspired him. While he couldn’t pin down just one, the gravity of the moment wasn’t lost on him. “I watched a lot. Definitely watched a lot. I don’t think there’s one specific one but… um… it was cool to be a part of playoff basketball,” he admitted.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker: The Art of the Reset
While Johnson is just beginning his playoff journey, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has already seen the highs and lows of the postseason grind. Having experienced a deep run in the conference finals with Minnesota previously, he brought a specific “wealth of knowledge” to this season.
“I think the similarities between last season in Minnesota and this year was just that late, after All-Star break push, you know, to avoid the play-in,” Alexander-Walker told me when we discussed his role as a respected veteran.
For him, the off-season is about precision—knowing when to shut the body down and when to ramp it back up. I asked him how long he actually sits back and rests before the gym calls him back.
“Yeah, about two weeks,” he said. “I’ll give myself two weeks and then get back to it. I know what’s helped me this year, and then building off of that. In these two weeks, I’ll give myself rest, recover, and then get back into it. Spend some time with the family, maybe go somewhere, who knows, just disappear for a little bit.”
That disappearance is where the self-correction happens. Alexander-Walker is candid about the fact that his rise hasn’t been a straight line. “For me, the way I was able to elevate my game individually to help the team was a lot of learning. Finding my pace and rhythm, I found myself as a player. Found some comfort. Had some good games, had some bad ones, and I played through adversity in different ways and then that’s allowed me to be…”
Two Paths, One Destination
The contrast between the two is striking yet complementary. Johnson is the hungry riser, eager to get back into the gym to ensure his next playoff experience lasts longer. Alexander-Walker is the tactician, understanding that “disappearing” for two weeks is just as important as the thousands of weight-room sessions or jumpers he’ll take in July.
As the off-season begins, both players are carrying the weight of their recent exits, but neither is letting it slow them down. Whether it’s through Johnson’s “building blocks” or Alexander-Walker’s “rhythm and pace,” the work for next season is already underway.
