Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s ability to draw fouls has been the subject of a new report. Yahoo Sports’ Tom Haberstroh reviewed film to track how often the Oklahoma City Thunder star falls compared to other players.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s Fall Rate Compared
Haberstroh examined playoff games this season, focusing on instances where Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t called for a foul. He compared this data with players known for drawing fouls, including Victor Wembanyama, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Jalen Brunson.
Gilgeous-Alexander fell 20 times on 187 field-goal attempts without a foul being called. This equates to 10.7 percent, the highest rate among the players tracked.
Harden was second at 8.7 percent, followed by Brunson at 7.9 percent, Mitchell at 7.6 percent and Wembanyama at 0.6 percent.
On plays where a foul was called, Gilgeous-Alexander fell 51.4 percent of the time (19-of-37). None of the other four players eclipsed 30 percent.
- Harden was second in that category (12-of-41).
- Wembanyama jumped up to 25.0 percent (7-of-28).
Total Falls and Free Throw Attempts
Mitchell topped the list with 26 falls on plays without a foul called. However, this occurred on 342 field-goal attempts, nearly twice as many as Gilgeous-Alexander’s 187.
Wembanyama and Gilgeous-Alexander were the only players with fewer than 200 field-goal attempts. Wembanyama fell just once in 164 attempts.
In total, Gilgeous-Alexander fell 39 times on 224 shots (17.4 percent). Harden was second at 11.9 percent, with Brunson in third at 9.0, Mitchell in fourth at 8.4 and Wembanyama in fifth at 4.2.
Not Necessarily Flopping
Haberstroh clarified that the report wasn’t accusing Gilgeous-Alexander of flopping. His playing style, which involves attacking the paint and utilising mid-range shots, naturally leads to contact.
Gilgeous-Alexander averages 9.8 free-throw attempts per game this postseason. This is second only to Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, who has 10.6 attempts. During the regular season, Gilgeous-Alexander finished third in free-throw attempts, behind Luka Dončić and Deni Avdija.
Mitchell is the only player among those tracked who doesn’t rank in the top 20 for free-throw attempts per game in these playoffs.
The analysis offers an insight into the frequency with which Gilgeous-Alexander goes to ground compared to his contemporaries.