There's no denying Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's brilliance on the court. The four-time All-Star and two-time MVP has been a force throughout the playoffs, averaging over 31 points per game. But his game has also drawn a different kind of attention: accusations that he's hitting the floor a little too easily.
Now, a stat from Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo Sports has put a number to the narrative. Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, Gilgeous-Alexander has ended up on the ground after 13 of his 47 field goal attempts. That's a staggering 27.6% of his shots — more than one in every four.
The internet, predictably, had a field day. Fans were quick to dissect the footage and question whether contact was even there.
“That’s an absurdly high number, especially when you watch the video and see how many of them he wasn’t even touched,” one fan posted. “Man doesn’t wanna hoop, he wants to get to that line.”
Another commenter lamented, “Look at what the sport has come to man.” A third pointed out the disparity: “27.6% may sound like not too much. But what’s the average for the league? If he’s going to the ground 3/4/5/6x (or more?) more than other players that’s disgusting basketball, even if it’s not the majority of the shots.”
The flopping narrative has followed SGA throughout the postseason. After sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round, the reigning MVP fired back at those who claim the Thunder get preferential treatment from officials.
“The way I see it, the fans, the people that watched the games and root against us, they want their team to win. You will never hear an Oklahoma City Thunder fan complaining about my free throws. You will never hear a Lakers fan complaining about LeBron or Luka’s free throws,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, via ESPN. “I get it, guys. I would hate me too.”
For what it's worth, the numbers back up his effectiveness at the line: he leads all players this postseason with 8.5 made free throws per game. But the debate over whether that's a product of skill or theatrics isn't going away anytime soon, especially as the Thunder and Spurs battle for a spot in the NBA Finals.
While the flopping debate rages, the series itself has delivered high drama. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was recently seen giving rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama an intense pre-game pep talk that went viral. Meanwhile, some analysts have called the matchup a far cry from the Eastern Conference Finals, with Michael Wilbon dismissing the Knicks-Cavs series as a 'JV' affair by comparison.
Whether you see SGA as a skilled foul-drawer or a serial flopper, one thing is clear: his ability to get to the line is a major weapon — and a major point of contention.
