Former NBA Champion Defends SGA’s Free Throw Attempts

To Shai and Jefferson’s point, that was during the 2022-23 season. SGA averaged 10.9 free throws per game, and he was not even leading the NBA in that category. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the league with 12.3 FTs per game, followed by Joel Embiid with 11.7. Gilgeous-Alexander was third, followed by Luka Doncic with 10.5 per game and Damian Lillard with 9.6 per game.

Is Shai a Foul Merchant?

This season, SGA is again third in free throw attempts per game. Giannis and Joel are the first two on the list again. As for the playoffs, Donovan Mitchell averaged more FTs before his team got eliminated. Donovan got 9.9 attempts per game, while Shai is at 9.6 per game. Maybe he has a point that people didn’t pay attention to until he was beating their favorite teams and players.

SGA vs. Other Free Throw Masters

If we look at the list of players who have led the league in free throws, there is an argument to be made for SGA not getting enough free throw attempts. His highest total is 739, two seasons ago. That was the season he made a huge leap and finished as the finalist for Most Improved Player of the Year.

Drawing fouls and free throws is part of the game, and every elite superstar has done it. Let’s take a look at some players who have mastered the art of getting FTs.

• From 2014-15, James Harden led the league in FT attempts for five consecutive seasons. In four of those, he topped 800+ attempts.
• In 2006-07, Kobe Bryant averaged 10 FT attempts per game, finishing with 768 total, and finished top 3 in MVP voting. The next season, he averaged nine per game and won the MVP.
• Allen Iverson led the league in FT attempts in 2005-06, finishing with 829 totals.
• Here is an interesting case, Paul Pierce was the leader in free throws during the 2002-03 season, getting 7.5 per game and finishing with a total of 753. Three seasons later, he averaged 7.9 per game.
• During his first MVP season, 1986-87, Michael Jordan averaged 11.9 attempts per game, finishing with a total of 972.
• Another interesting case, during the 1983-84 season, Adrian Dantley, averaged 12 per game and finished with 946 free throw attempts.

The reality is that when you win an MVP as the first seed of the league, you have a target on your back. Fans have found a way to hate Nikola Jokic, Steph Curry, and LeBron James. Now, SGA has a target on his back because he has found a way to exploit rules and get more free throws.