Former OKC Thunder Guard Has a Message for SGA's Critics

Currently, the Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the NBA’s more polarizing teams.

The group has received plenty of backlash on social media and even from opposing coaches about the group’s physicality on defense and ability to get to the free throw line on offense.

This isn’t atypical for teams in OKC’s position, though, as the NBA’s best squads often have their fair share of supporters and critics. The Golden State Warriors’ dynasty added immensely to the Warriors fanbase but also earned the team disdain from others.

Oklahoma City hasn’t reached Golden State’s level, but the Thunder have seen a similar trend over the past few seasons. With the team’s success, has come more attention, meaning more fans, and more critics.

Many of those criticisms focus on the team’s star, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has also become a polarizing figure across the NBA for similar reasons. In addition to his success on the court, Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throws are a frequent topic of conversation amongst social media, and even national media members and NBA coaches.

“Well, he’s incredibly clever and, you know, he knows exactly how to draw contact, and it’s all within the rules,” Kerr said after OKC’s 104-97 win against the Warriors on March 7. “I don’t have a problem with Shai; I have a problem with the rules. So, you know, I just think that we, as a league, too much off-arm — we hardly allow the defense to do anything, you know, guarding the ball.”

While Gilgeous-Alexander’s free throw rates are a heavy discussion point among basketball observers, the elite guard isn’t even among the NBA’s most frequent visitor at the charity stripe. That title belongs to Luka Doncic, who is the only NBA player this season to average more than 10 free throw attempts per game.

Even after an astounding performance against the Denver Nuggets that saw SGA finish with 35 points, 15 assists, nine rebounds and zero turnovers while shooting just four free throws, media members still complained about the reigning MVP’s ability to draw fouls.

Recently, though, a retired NBA veteran and former OKC guard came to Gilgeous-Alexander’s defense.

“I just want people to give this man his flowers,” Raymond Felton said on an episode of the To The Baha podcast. “All I hear and see on comments and stuff (is) ‘This man flops, this man does this, this man does that.’ This man gets buckets. That wasn’t flopping (against Denver). Every big shot he hit, it (isn’t) coming from the free throw line. It’s coming from the 3-point line or the midrange. The man gets buckets.”

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