Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s playing style is under scrutiny. Following comments made by Victor Wembanyama after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinal, questions have been raised about the ethics of the Thunder’s play. Wembanyama spoke about being “glad to be a part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful,” referring to “pure and ethical basketball.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has earned the MVP award for the second consecutive season. However, he’s struggled to shake off the perception that he seeks out foul calls. Opposing fans have been known to chant “free-throw merchant” at him. Jaylen Brown also appeared to allude to Gilgeous-Alexander’s “foul-baiting” in March.
Video Sparks Debate About Gilgeous-Alexander’s Falls
Flopping is a hot topic in the NBA, with Gilgeous-Alexander a key focus. A video posted on X, which showed seven plays where the two-time MVP fell after contact, has been viewed over 17 million times. The video’s caption claimed “Shai flopped on every single shot attempt.”
Gilgeous-Alexander took 24 field-goal attempts en route to scoring a game-high 30 points. He shot six free throws, which is below his regular-season average of nine.
Analysing the Data: How Often Does He Fall?
An in-depth look at Gilgeous-Alexander’s field-goal attempts and plays where he drew a shooting foul this postseason was undertaken. The analysis charted how often he fell to the ground, without judging whether the foul calls were justified or whether it constituted a flop. The focus was solely on the objective measure of falling to the hardwood.
The analyst expressed a desire for the NBA to officially track falls using player-tracking cameras and make the data public. Currently, the league tracks box outs, defender distances and shot designations. The question was posed: Why not falls to the floor?
Comparing Gilgeous-Alexander to Other NBA Stars
Over 1,300 shots in this postseason from the game’s best scorers were reviewed. This was done to get a better understanding of Gilgeous-Alexander’s tendency to fall on his shots. Jalen Brunson, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, and Wembanyama were compared to the Thunder star.
Initial thoughts suggested Gilgeous-Alexander did not fall more than his counterparts. However, further investigation changed that view.
When I charted the shots of these five.