The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from OKC so far
The Bad: Referees need to send Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the free-throw line.
Superstar free throw attempts are down league-wide. That fact, by itself, is something I don’t have a problem with. I think we all agree that free throws are boring! Bring on physical matchups without referee intervention!
My problem is that this diminished whistle decree impacts one player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I made a chart here listing some of the most frequent visitors to the free throw line and how their attempts have changed from last year.
| Player | FTA in 2022-23 | FTA in 2023-24 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antetokounmpo | 12.3 | 10.0 | 81.3 |
| Embiid | 11.7 | 10.8 | 92.3 |
| Dončić | 10.5 | 7.7 | 73.3 |
| Lillard | 9.6 | 9.5 | 98.9 |
| Durant | 7.1 | 8.6 | 121.1 |
| Young | 8.8 | 9.8 | 111.4 |
| Tatum | 8.4 | 5.3 | 63.1 |
| Banchero | 7.4 | 6.9 | 93.2 |
| Gilgeous-Alexander | 10.9 | 6.3 | 57.8 |
Whereas some players are experiencing a slight drop or even an increase in their trips to the line, Gilgeous-Alexander has seen his attempts go down at a far more dramatic rate.
There’s a logical explanation for any eagle-eyed observer who sees Tatum’s similar drop. The Celtics made some seismic roster moves that have dropped Tatum’s usage from 8th last season to 22nd this year.
Gilgeous-Alexander, on the other hand, led the NBA in drives per game last season and…is still leading the NBA in industries per game. Please reach out if you can explain this drop to me because I am scratching my head into premature baldness.
On the bright side, the OKC Thunder players around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are picking up the free throw slack. Jalen Williams is getting to the line more often than during his rookie year, and Chet Holmgren has shown off a spinning drive move that almost guarantees himself a trip to the bar.