Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in the midst of a historic season that's been marred by criticism. Between fans, players, and coaches, Gilgeous-Alexander hasn't heard the end of how his tactics for attempting free throws overshadow his greatness as a player.
It's a bizarre situation when one considers how Gilgeous-Alexander has effectively received the criticism that no one wants to throw Luka Doncic's way.
Gilgeous-Alexander currently ranks No. 4 in the NBA in free throw attempts per game, sitting a full 1.2 behind Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic. He also trails Doncic in free throw attempts per 36 minutes, as well as Milwaukee Bucks titan Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Furthermore, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 4.7 more drives yet only 0.2 more free throw attempts via drive per game than Doncic—a ratio that speaks for itself.
That only scratches the surface of how Gilgeous-Alexander has bafflingly become polarizing while Doncic has become an abject fan favorite. Those who even consider criticizing Doncic are met with resistence, whereas Gilgeous-Alexander's reputation has become set in stone.
Even New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown has gotten in on the action—after Gilgeous-Alexander attempted seven free throws and shot 9-of-16 from the field in a 103-100 win.
Mike Brown:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) March 5, 2026
"SGA, he's a tough cover. He does a great job of convincing the referees probably better than anybody in the league that he's getting hit" 😳 pic.twitter.com/8UFgDsxIQx
Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander has made an art out of scoring from every angle of the court without needing free throws—so much so that the scoring title would only be Doncic's based on minutes played.
Luka Doncic draws free throws at more alarming rate than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Doncic is averaging 32.4 points per game to Gilgeous-Alexander's 31.7, thus giving him the fast track to a second career scoring title. In saying that, Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning scoring champion, has a stronger case for being the best scorer in the NBA.
For one, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging an Association-leading 34.2 points per 36 minutes compared to Doncic at 32.9—a rather significant 1.3-point advantage.
Furthermore, Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting the lights out with unreasonable efficiency at a clip of .551/.384/.895. Doncic has been no slouch himself, converting with efficiency at a rate of .473/.359/.773 that has him justifiably being praised as an MVP candidate.
The fact that the reigning MVP and Finals MVP is making more free throws per game than Doncic at 8.2 to 8.0, however, is exclusively a product of Gilgeous-Alexander shooting 12.2 percent better at the line.
Gilgeous-Alexander is a marksman, converting his shots with elite efficiency in virtually every phase. He's a hot streak away from a 50-40-90 season, is burying an abnormal 53.3 percent of his midrange jump shots, and is shooting at or above the league average in all but three of the 12 zones on his shot chart.
While Doncic is being praised in his pursuit of a second career scoring title, however, Gilgeous-Alexander continues to be criticized for a shared characteristic.