It was just a few seasons ago that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was one of the darlings of the NBA. Fast forward to today, and he has become one of the most heavily scrutinized players. It has nothing to do with his attitude or personality. Frustration has grown regarding the fashion in which he draws fouls. Many view it as the one major stain preventing Gilgeous-Alexander from worldwide acclaim. However, some don’t view SGA’s foul drawing as a problem, with Dwyane Wade being one of his biggest advocates.
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Anyone with high basketball knowledge wouldn’t dare question Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive ability. After all, the Oklahoma City Thunder star is averaging 32.4 points per game. If he were to maintain this pace, this would mark the fourth consecutive season averaging at least 30 points per game.
If it were easy to score at the level that SGA does, then every player in the NBA would. One of the main separators is that not many players can get to the free-throw line at the same rate as the reigning MVP. However, plenty of fans and even some analysts credit Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-baiting as the reason.
Wade, on the other hand, won’t go as far as to call Gilgeous-Alexander a foul baiter. Instead, he offered a different perspective when it comes to offense.
“The best players, the high IQ players, find a way to manipulate the game, right?” Wade said in an interview with ClutchPoints. “And it’s really about understanding.”
Gilgeous-Alexander’s understanding of the importance of manipulating the game is among the best the league has to offer. Wade was one of the best at this art during his prime and sees the same traits in Gilgeous-Alexander.
“His understanding of the game, of body movement, of defenses, he’s smart enough to know how to get the call. Like, you know what I mean? And so I don’t feel like that’s a bad thing,” Wade proclaimed.
Shai isn’t the first superstar to receive flak for drawing fouls. James Harden was legendary for his ability to draw fouls, specifically during his tenure with the Houston Rockets. Harden just knew how to manipulate the game for his advantage. In the moment, Harden had a great deal of haters, but he receives endless love nowadays. Wade looks at Gilgeous-Alexander in the same light.
“I actually think it’s a great thing that he’s learned this skill that only a few, like James Harden, had it in Houston. He found a way to manipulate the game and use the rules to his advantage. That’s not a bad thing if he’s playing within the rules and using them to his advantage,” Wade said.
Although Gilgeous-Alexander has become the face of the narrative behind foul-bating, he isn’t miles ahead in the free-throw department. The Thunder star isn’t even leading the league in free-throw attempts per game. That title belongs to Luka Doncic, who averages 12.3 free throws per game. SGA is in second place with an average of 9.7 free throw attempts.
Right on his tail is Deni Avdija, who is averaging 9.6 free throw attempts. The last player who is attempting at least nine free throws is Austin Reaves at 9.1. Gilgeous is certainly up there, but isn’t too far from his contemporaries. At least SGA has legends such as Wade defending him because it seems like the perception from fans won’t be changing anytime soon.
