Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the front runners for this season’s MVP award. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, considering the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar’s averaging over 32 points per game this season. So what is behind the current negative buzz around his name?
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Minnesota head coach Chris Finch may be partly to blame for that. “You really can’t touch Shay. It is a really frustrating thing and needs a lot of mental toughness to play through it,” the Timberwolves HC had said after the game, even though they had notched up a huge 131-128 win on the road against the Thunder.
Finch’s beef was simple: SGA was a foul baiter. Many fans were quick to back Finch’s statement against Gilgeous-Alexander. Amid this growing clamor, former NBA player Lou Williams has stepped up to take the blame for teaching the star point guard the art of drawing fouls.
“Shai was with me early on and we did teach him how to draw fouls. He’s a master at this. You should be frustrated with this… But he catches guys slipping,” Williams said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back, apologizing with a sly smile for teaching Shai how to consistently get to the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams were Clippers teammates for a season before the team sent SGA to the Thunder as a part of the massive Paul George trade. And Williams doesn’t fault SGA for his ‘foul’ play. He says it’s just part of the guard’s outstanding offensive ability.
Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league. He is stellar in the mid-range and can drive to the basket with ease. And, SGA capitalizes on defenders’ vulnerability and earns trips to the free-throw line.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s amazing year at the free-throw line
Williams made a compelling point that any player would take advantage of the opportunity to earn 8-10 points from the free-throw line. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Trae Young follow the same blueprint as Shai.
Gilgeous-Alexander is currently clocking 8.9 free throws per matchup on 89.2% shooting, which is the second-most in his career for both areas. He stands second behind Antetokounmpo in free-throw attempts per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander averages 8 makes from the charity stripe per game. That means, out of his average of 32.4 points per game, 24 points are coming organically from field goals. It is clear that free-throw shooting helps make him one of the NBA’s best scorers and a potential MVP.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s best career year came in the 2022-23 season when he averaged 31.4 points per game and earned his first All-Star appearance. And he has done even better this year — which may be why competitors are training their guns on him.
