Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has zero free-throw attempts in loss to Lakers, his fewest in over three years

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is having one of the greatest scoring seasons in NBA history, and a big part of that is his ability to get to the free-throw line, where he’s shooting 90%. His 8.8 free-throw attempts per game are second in the league behind Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and he’s taken 15 or more in seven games this season, with a high of 21.

So it was quite alarming to see that Gilgeous-Alexander attempted zero free throws — yes, zero — in the Thunder’s 126-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. It was the first time that SGA was held without a free-throw attempt since a Dec. 2021 matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers. That’s well over three years since he went a whole game without getting to the free-throw line.

“I don’t know. I didn’t get fouled. I don’t know,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “I don’t think that necessarily needs to change. I don’t know how many [points] I had tonight, but I felt good offensively. I don’t think we lost because I didn’t shoot free throws, and I’m all about trying to win. So I don’t think that necessarily needs to change. We need to play defense for sure next game if we want to win.”

The anomalous occurrence happened just one game after Gilgeous-Alexander went 1 for 2 from the foul line in Friday’s defeat at the hands of the Houston Rockets.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished Sunday’s loss with 26 points and nine assists in 30 minutes on 12 of 23 shooting, and was minus-20 for the game. As he mentioned, the problems for OKC came on the defensive end, where they allowed the Lakers to shoot 22 for 40 (55%) from the 3-point line in what quickly turned into a blowout.

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There has been significant, shall we say, conversation, on social media about Gilgeous-Alexander’s penchant for drawing fouls. The term “foul-baiting” has been consistently thrown around, as many have expressed the belief that SGA has drawn a generous whistle from officials through grifting and gaming the rules. 

During a February game, Minnesota Timberwolves fans even chanted “free-throw merchant” during one of Gilgeous-Alexander’s many trips to the stripe.

Despite the protestations, Gilgeous-Alexander’s free-throw attempts are basically on par with his numbers from last season, and significantly down from the nearly 11 attempts per game he took in 2022-23. While conventional thinking would suggest that the refs might swallow their whistles to a larger extent in the playoffs, the data indicate otherwise, as Gilgeous-Alexander also averaged eight attempts per game last postseason en route to over 30 points per game.

While there likely isn’t much concern over SGA’s ability to get to the line, the Thunder have put up two extremely subpar performances in a row. That’s not ideal as they ramp up to be the No. 1 overall seed heading into the playoffs. Keeping Gilgeous-Alexander off the line is clearly a point of emphasis for any defense, but it’s not a surefire path to victory. This season OKC has gone 14-3 when SGA attempts five or fewer free throws.