Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has risen as one of the NBA’s biggest stars. Along with his rise to stardom, however, has come the label of a “free-throw merchant.” Fans on social media have given SGA this label due to his knack for drawing free-throws.
But during the Thunder’s 117-100 win against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, Gilgeous-Alexander proved that he doesn’t need free throws to be an effective scorer in the NBA. In that game, SGA finished with 30 points on 12-of-17 shooting from the field, while taking only four free-throws the entire game. He also did not play the entire fourth quarter, and his free-throws came exclusively from and-ones or when the Thunder were in the bonus.
The “free-throw merchant” label has never truly reflected his style. Except for the 2022-23 season, Gilgeous-Alexander has consistently averaged under double digits in free-throw attempts per game. Early in this season, there was some noise around the label, largely due to his performance in the Thunder’s first two games.
On opening night against the Houston Rockets, Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 14 free throws en route to scoring 35 points. Then, in a rematch of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, he scored a career-high 55 points while shooting 26 free throws in that game.
Because the first two games of the season skew his free-throw attempt average higher, Gilgeous-Alexander is currently averaging 14.7 free-throw attempts per game. However, as the season progresses, this average is likely to drop closer to his career mark of seven to eight attempts per game — in other words, nothing earth-shattering.
Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off his first MVP award as well as his first NBA championship. Based on how the Thunder look early in the season, he is probably a favorite to win MVP again this year, and the Thunder appear poised to repeat as champions.
Last season, SGA appeared in 76 games for the Thunder, averaging just over 34 minutes per game. He posted league-leading and career-high numbers with 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. His shooting splits were impressive, too, with 51.9% from the field, 37.5% from three-point range, and 89.8% from the free-throw line.
In summary, while the “free-throw merchant” label has followed Gilgeous-Alexander, his scoring ability extends far beyond just drawing fouls. He is a versatile and efficient scorer who continues to elevate the Thunder’s game at every turn.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-free-throw-merchant-label-hawks
