Without question, opening weekend for the 2025 NBA Playoffs couldn't have gone much better for the OKC Thunder.
Despite seeing a week-long hiatus, Oklahoma City didn't seem to have even an ounce of rust within their on-court game, as they coasted through their primetime showing en route to a historic 131-80 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
This kind of performance only further strengthened the Thunder's status as title favorites, for not only did it prove that they have the firepower necessary to confidently go 10 men deep with their rotation, but also that they possess the coveted mindset of a championship-caliber club.
However, even though enthusiasm should undoubtedly be high when it comes to the Thunder's potential to make a long and prosperous postseason run, not everything wound up going in OKC's direction during the first two days of action.
In fact, there appears to be a particular, league-wide trend that could potentially have a direct impact on superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Thunder star may be directly impacted by decline in postseason foul calls
Over the past few years, the point guard has proven himself to be one of the most well-rounded scoring threats the game has had to offer.
Be it as a result of driving to the rim or stopping and popping beyond the arc, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can simply buy a bucket from anywhere on the court and, as a result, he has scored north of 30.0 points per game in each of the last three seasons and, in 2024-25, led the league with 32.7 a night.
Of course, for better or for worse, his ability to draw fouls on the offensive end has also played a role in his elite scoring game, as the All-Star has finished in the top-five in free throw attempts per game every year since 2022-23.
While some have praised him for his skills in this department, many others have become vocal critics of his presumed foul-hunting style of play, with former NBA guard Austin Rivers going as far as to say SGA will be in for a "rude awakening" come playoff time once officiating crews allow for more physicality.
Now, though his claims may have been rooted in easily debunkable arguments, over the years, there has been an ongoing trend where referees are calling fewer and fewer fouls in the postseason. During this past opening weekend, said trend managed to reach an all-time low.
Per the findings of Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh, 2024-25 marked the first time since the NBA/ABA merger back in 1976 where the league saw free throw attempts per 100 possessions dip below 20 (18.5) in the playoffs.
Coincidentally, during this same timeframe, Gilgeous-Alexander found himself registering his worst scoring game of the year, as the Thunder star logged just 15 points on 30.8 percent shooting from the floor and 14.3 percent shooting from deep in Game 1.
He also saw himself attempt just seven foul shots on the night, making all but one.
Now, though this may be just a small sample size, as every team in the NBA Playoffs has played just one game as of this writing, there's a case to be made that, should this whistleless fad continue, perhaps no player will be hurt more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Of players who suited up for at least 90.0 percent of games this year, the 26-year-old ranked first in free throws per 100 possessions with 12.1.
Fortunately, Gilgeous-Alexander is far from solely reliant on foul line activity when it comes to putting up big-time scoring numbers, so even if this lowly league-wide mark remains, the Thunder centerpiece will still be viewed as more than lethal on the offensive end.
Nevertheless, to say it wouldn't have even a slightly negative impact on SGA would be a tad bit naive.