First 50 point game goes to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Best player in the world

The man is unbelievable. :bowdown:
Leading and willing his team to Ws.
55 points back-to-back double OT playing without his running mate J Dub.
Give the man MVP already.

Flopped and foul baited the entire game

No wonder viewership is at a all time low

Casuals can't stand SGA. He did it all- step back 3's, mid-range, drives to the hoop. He can handle physicality on defense. There's a reason these guys won it all last year.

The 'casual fan' consensus is that he gets too many foul calls. The only way the opposing team can stop him is fouling him. If anything he doesn't get enough calls.

[QUOTE=bdonovan;15039215]Casuals can't stand SGA. He did it all- step back 3's, mid-range, drives to the hoop. He can handle physicality on defense. There's a reason these guys won it all last year.

The 'casual fan' consensus is that he gets too many foul calls. The only way the opposing team can stop him is fouling him. If anything he doesn't get enough calls.[/QUOTE]

He took 26 free throw attempts you stupid bitch. You'd have to be as dishonest as SGA to suggest he doesn't routinely play for the foul instead of attempting to make a basket.

[QUOTE=bdonovan;15039215]Casuals can't stand SGA. He did it all- step back 3's, mid-range, drives to the hoop. He can handle physicality on defense. There's a reason these guys won it all last year.

The 'casual fan' consensus is that he gets too many foul calls. The only way the opposing team can stop him is fouling him. If anything he doesn't get enough calls.[/QUOTE]

He can't handle shit all he does is flop around like a fish every possession, half the time he's not even looking to score but draw a foul

I don't understand how anyone can enjoy watching him play

Last season Shai's shooting percentages were:

74% at the rim
49% from 3-10 ft
55% from 10-16 ft
42% from 16-3pt
37.5% from 3

But he is just a free throw merchant.... cool story bro.

Put another way he averaged 25 ppg last year taking out the free throws, with an EFG of 57%. That is elite.

Last season SA had a lower free throw rate than Harden and Trae Young (making him 3rd in FTR among guards). He just takes way more 2's and gets to the rim more often than those guys. If you defend him without fouling, he's just going to shoot 10' jumpers all game that are easy money for him.

[QUOTE=ralph_i_el;15039292]Last season SA had a lower free throw rate than Harden and Trae Young (making him 3rd in FTR among guards). He just takes way more 2's and gets to the rim more often than those guys. If you defend him without fouling, he's just going to shoot 10' jumpers all game that are easy money for him.[/QUOTE]

You are a lame cuck

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039217]He took 26 free throw attempts you stupid bitch. You'd have to be as dishonest as SGA to suggest he doesn't routinely play for the foul instead of attempting to make a basket.[/QUOTE]

Did he really?

26!?

:biggums:

Shit is bogus man.

[QUOTE=tontoz;15039290]Last season Shai's shooting percentages were:

74% at the rim
49% from 3-10 ft
55% from 10-16 ft
42% from 16-3pt
37.5% from 3

But he is just a free throw merchant.... cool story bro.
[B]
Put another way he averaged 25 ppg last year taking out the free throws, with an EFG of 57%. That is elite.[/B][/QUOTE]


All the extra calls will improve that % signifigantly plus its putting the defenders on notice they can't breathe on him, making things even easier. I'm not saying he ain't a really good player but the style is wack. Sorry. Hes a more dependable James Harden essentially.

[QUOTE=tpols;15039343]All the extra calls will improve that % signifigantly plus its putting the defenders on notice they can't breathe on him, making things even easier. I'm not saying he ain't a really good player but the style is wack. Sorry. Hes a more dependable James Harden essentially.[/QUOTE]

Nobody in the league drives as often as he does. Foul grifting was a problem long before he came into the league. The problem is the refs. As long as they keep getting fooled guys will keep grifting.

He averaged 8.8 fts per game last year BFD.

AG right after

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039217][B]He took 26 free throw attempts you stupid bitch.[/B] You'd have to be as dishonest as SGA to suggest he doesn't routinely play for the foul instead of attempting to make a basket.[/QUOTE]

:roll:

He would be great with our without the free throws but he definitely abuses the rules. You want him on your team but if he's on the opponent as a fan you may not have any appreciation for his game after he gets 10+ points off the whistle. I don't think he's as awful as Harden nut he's had some games that were hard to like.

[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15039357]He would be great with our without the free throws but he definitely abuses the rules. You want him on your team but if he's on the opponent as a fan you may not have any appreciation for his game after he gets 10+ points off the whistle. I don't think he's as awful as Harden nut he's had some games that were hard to like.[/QUOTE]

yeah but just because he nets x amount of points from free throws, doesn't reflect the true damage that having the benefit of the whistle has on his game. i.e he would not be as inclined to drive in or make a risky offensive play if he knew the whistle would be fair and not biased towards him. in other words, the impact of the whistle is not easily determined based on his FTA/FTs made. it also gives false confidence that can translate into defensive plays. the measure of how beneficial that whistle is cannot be quantified. not to mention the momentum changing whistles at key moments during a close game.

Ben mathurin had 17 foul shots in the same game and he's a nobody. He doesn't get near the touches that Shai does.

[QUOTE=highwhey;15039359]yeah but just because he nets x amount of points from free throws, doesn't reflect the true damage that having the benefit of the whistle has on his game. i.e he would not be as inclined to drive in or make a risky offensive play if he knew the whistle would be fair and not biased towards him. in other words, the impact of the whistle is not easily determined based on his FTA/FTs made. it also gives false confidence that can translate into defensive plays. the measure of how beneficial that whistle is cannot be quantified. not to mention the momentum changing whistles at key moments during a close game.[/QUOTE]

Sure but that's true of most scorers. Last season he averaged 8.8 free throw attempts per game. That's not outrageously high. By comparison Doncic averaged 7.9.

It's weird how much SGA triggers people when he's not even close to the most egregious flopper or foul baiter. Not even top ten. He's just one of the craftiest players in the league as far as footwork, feinting, changes of pace, unpredictability in his movements, etc. As a result, his defenders foul him a lot.

[QUOTE=Full Court;15039384]It's weird how much SGA triggers people when he's not even close to the most egregious flopper or foul baiter. [B][I][U][SIZE=5]Not even top ten.[/SIZE][/U][/I][/B][/QUOTE]

Delete your account.

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039217]He took 26 free throw attempts you stupid bitch. You'd have to be as dishonest as SGA to suggest he doesn't routinely play for the foul instead of attempting to make a basket.[/QUOTE]

Watch the games, not the stat sheet, moron. The league has seen worse.

I hate when Harden does it, and I hate when SGA does it. It’s just not entertaining.

[QUOTE=Chick Stern;15039393]I hate when Harden does it, and I hate when SGA does it. It’s just not entertaining.[/QUOTE]
Luka also does it.

[QUOTE=k0kakw0rld;15039394]Luka also does it.[/QUOTE]

the difference is SGA anchors his offense around foul bating, much like Harden did and people criticized Harden at the time because he was so egregious with it.

Luka doesn't score with the intention of going to the free throw line.

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039388]Delete your account.[/QUOTE]

This is one of those morons who get triggered by SGA that I was talking about. :lol

[QUOTE=Real Men Wear Green;15039363]Sure but that's true of most scorers. Last season he averaged 8.8 free throw attempts per game. That's not outrageously high. By comparison Doncic averaged 7.9.[/QUOTE]

And Doncic had a much higher Free Throw Rate on the Lakers than SGA did for last year, smaller sample size but he was also out of shape and sharing the offense with Lebron and Reaves.

Lebron in his prime years also had a similar FTr, actually higher in most of his prime/peak years than SGA did last year. Lebron's Playoff FTr career average is higher than SGA's Regular Season FTr was last year.

SGA isn't anywhere near as bad as prime/peak Embiid or Harden when it comes to foul baiting, he just does it very efficiently so people get pissed about it.

The SGA foul- baiting is WAY overblown. He consistently puts pressure on defenses and takes the ball to the rim.

What he does is not even in the same league as Harden, who often times completely tailored his game and skillset on drawing fouls without attempting to score. SGA is trying to score, he’s just crafty and gets people out of position. That KD foul at the end of the first game is a good example. If he doesn’t bite on that series of moves then SGA just pulls up and takes an 18 footer that he makes more often than not. Harden didn’t have that in his bag.

[QUOTE=tontoz;15039360]Ben mathurin had 17 foul shots in the same game and he's a nobody. He doesn't get near the touches that Shai does.[/QUOTE]

Mathurin also had a higher FTR than SGA in the playoffs last year, and all he does is run into people.

[QUOTE=ShawkFactory;15039411]The SGA foul- baiting is WAY overblown. He consistently puts pressure on defenses and takes the ball to the rim.

[B]What he does is not even in the same league as Harden, who often times completely tailored his game and skillset on drawing fouls without attempting to score.[/B] SGA is trying to score, he’s just crafty and gets people out of position. That KD foul at the end of the first game is a good example. If he doesn’t bite on that series of moves then [B]SGA just pulls up and takes an 18 footer that he makes more often than not. Harden didn’t have that in his bag[/B].[/QUOTE]

This this this, thank you!

FYI folks, Kobe had 5 seasons with higher free throw rates than SGA had last year.

The amount of retards in this thread that think that SGA doesn't foul bait is alarming. How does society even function with these people? Holy shit.

I'm not talking about the occasional flop. Unfortunately pretty much every player does that.

I'm talking about the fact that it is a quintessential part of his game.

I'm talking about the fact that he will actively hunt a foul and decide for the ref rather than try to make a difficult play and let the ref decide.

He is a dishonest player and so are the people in this thread that claim he isn't or they're retarded. No in between.

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039417]The amount of retards in this thread that think that SGA doesn't foul bait is alarming. How does society even function with these people? Holy shit.

I'm not talking about the occasional flop. Unfortunately pretty much every player does that.

I'm talking about the fact that it is a quintessential part of his game.

I'm talking about the fact that he will actively hunt a foul and decide for the ref rather than try to make a difficult play and let the ref decide.

He is a dishonest player and so are the people in this thread that claim he isn't or they're retarded. No in between.[/QUOTE]



You just don't know how to read. Please quote anyone who said he doesn't foul bait. You cant.

We just think people focusing on his foul grifting are exaggerating. He isnt as bad as other some other guys.

[QUOTE=tontoz;15039424]You just don't know how to read. Please quote anyone who said he doesn't foul bait. You cant.

We just think people focusing on his foul grifting are exaggerating. He isnt as bad as other some other guys.[/QUOTE]

You are a ****ing moron.

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039429]You are a ****ing moron.[/QUOTE]

How so? Do you have the quote where someone said SGA doesn't bait the refs, or did you just pull that out of your ass?

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039417]The amount of retards in this thread that think that SGA doesn't foul bait is alarming. How does society even function with these people? Holy shit.

I'm not talking about the occasional flop. Unfortunately pretty much every player does that.

I'm talking about the fact that it is a quintessential part of his game.

I'm talking about the fact that he will actively hunt a foul and decide for the ref rather than try to make a difficult play and let the ref decide.

He is a dishonest player and so are the people in this thread that claim he isn't or they're retarded. No in between.[/QUOTE]
:roll: :applause:

It's part of their dishonesty cycle. Same thing that happened with Harden before everyone came crashing back down to earth.

Offensively, SGA is an efficient scorer who flops and manipulates like a bitch and who the refs award an insanely bloated amount of FTs to. Sure fire way to make someone who would otherwise be a 23-26 PPG guy into a perennial 50 point threat. How many ****ing 40 point games does this guy drop where he has 24 FTAs? And yes, he is absolutely hunting for fouls and making lame and indecisive offensive moves because he knows the refs are going to blow the whistle anyway (not even trying to score), with an egregious dose of it in closing time. We saw it opening night in the 2OT game.

The NBA likes the Thunder because they're organically grown and SGA is becoming a gay icon. Refs play their part, and casuals in return think SGA is some Jordan-esque scoring god.

[QUOTE=Proctor;15039434]:roll: :applause:

It's part of their dishonesty cycle. Same thing that happened with Harden before everyone came crashing back down to earth.

Offensively, SGA is an efficient scorer who flops and manipulates like a bitch and who the refs award an insanely bloated amount of FTs to. Sure fire way to make someone who would otherwise be a 23-26 PPG guy into a perennial 50 point threat. How many ****ing 40 point games does this guy drop where he has 24 FTAs? And yes, he is absolutely hunting for fouls and making lame and indecisive offensive moves because he knows the refs are going to blow the whistle anyway (not even trying to score), with an egregious dose of it in closing time. We saw it opening night in the 2OT game.

The NBA likes the Thunder because they're organically grown and SGA is becoming a gay icon. Refs play their part, and casuals in return think SGA is some Jordan-esque scoring god.[/QUOTE]

100% spot on.

[QUOTE=tontoz;15039433]How so? Do you have the quote where someone said SGA doesn't bait the refs, or did you just pull that out of your ass?[/QUOTE]

I'm not reading the thread for you.

[QUOTE=Yes or No;15039438]100% spot on.



I'm not reading the thread for you.[/QUOTE]


Apparently you didn't read it for yourself either.

[QUOTE=Proctor;15039434]:roll: :applause:

It's part of their dishonesty cycle. Same thing that happened with Harden before everyone came crashing back down to earth.

Offensively, SGA is an efficient scorer who flops and manipulates like a bitch and who the refs award an insanely bloated amount of FTs to. Sure fire way to make someone who would otherwise be a 23-26 PPG guy into a perennial 50 point threat. How many ****ing 40 point games does this guy drop where he has 24 FTAs? And yes, he is absolutely hunting for fouls and making lame and indecisive offensive moves because he knows the refs are going to blow the whistle anyway (not even trying to score), with an egregious dose of it in closing time. We saw it opening night in the 2OT game.

The NBA likes the Thunder because they're organically grown and SGA is becoming a gay icon. Refs play their part, and casuals in return think SGA is some Jordan-esque scoring god.[/QUOTE]

You're comparing SGA to Harden. Really? Look at Harden's numbers. He led the league in FTA 7x in an 8-year stretch and his Free Throw Rate was 53% for that period. SGA has never led the league in FTA. He had that one odd season ('23) of averaging over 10 FTA on a bad team but hasn't even averaged 9 since. I think you're being a bit dishonest here. SGA last year shot under 10 FTA in most of his games and barely had any 40-pt games to begin with. He's just a great player but people have a hate boner for him because they don't like OKC and they find SGA's game boring. SGA's modeled a lot of his game after Kobe (Kobe is his favorite player ever), some of his moves are damn near identical to Bean's.

[QUOTE=Proctor;15039434]:roll: :applause:

It's part of their dishonesty cycle. Same thing that happened with Harden before everyone came crashing back down to earth.

Offensively, SGA is an efficient scorer who flops and manipulates like a bitch and who the refs award an insanely bloated amount of FTs to. Sure fire way to make someone who would otherwise be a 23-26 PPG guy into a perennial 50 point threat. How many ****ing 40 point games does this guy drop where he has 24 FTAs? And yes, he is absolutely hunting for fouls and making lame and indecisive offensive moves because he knows the refs are going to blow the whistle anyway (not even trying to score), with an egregious dose of it in closing time. We saw it opening night in the 2OT game.

The NBA likes the Thunder because they're organically grown and SGA is becoming a gay icon. Refs play their part, and casuals in return think SGA is some Jordan-esque scoring god.[/QUOTE]

Yea guys are just mad at him for some reason :lol

I don't really get it because he seems like a good dude who is well-liked by teammates and he's not a diva at all.

[QUOTE]someone who would otherwise be a 23-26 PPG[/QUOTE]

This in particular is wild. He scored 25ppg on made baskets last year. You think he should be a 1.5-2.0 FTA per game kinda guy?

[QUOTE]the refs award an insanely bloated amount of FTs to[/QUOTE]

8.8 FTA last year. 8 point fvcking 8.

Not an insane number at all :lol

Some people just see what they want to see.

His averages, while very high (say the 8.8) are nothing mindblowing, you can't breathe on the guy in the 4th quarter. This is a cheat code for any semi-lethal, big name scorer with ref respect. I have seen plenty of his games playoff and regular season (it is not a small sample size), the bullshit calls are egregious late in games. Rivaled only by, yes, prime Harden, who could fall over like an idiot in the 4th, feign or initiate his own contact and they'd whistle him to the line for 3. Same for SGA, just not really with 3s.

If you look at stats and put on a certain pair of goggles I can see why you could look at this and say "meh, it's not that bad." If you're actually watching SGA closely game after game (when and where it matters most) and what he is doing with his arms and body it isn't that much of a different animal than Harden...just a different methodology.

Great player, great footwork, sure maybe a decent guy (I threw the gay part in there as a joke because it's obvious that he is and maybe several others on his team as well), but it's very obvious he's enjoying the marketability and success that comes with pairing being a proficient scorer and a master foul manufacturer.

If there is a "hate boner" for SGA and OKC it's because they push the limits of the refs will call on the defensive end, WHILE having a "superstar" getting the softest, stupidest, incidental contact calls on the offensive end. WNBA type calls. You can't have both things be true. Or you can, and you get a team that blows the hell out of everyone like OKC did last year. Surprise!

I dislike the trash reffing that permits it, and I dislike the player that brings it to the table. Once Harden fizzled out people started to accept how very lame it all was.

[QUOTE=Proctor;15039458]

If there is a "hate boner" for SGA and OKC it's because they push the limits of the refs will call on the defensive end, WHILE having a "superstar" getting the softest, stupidest, incidental contact calls on the offensive end. WNBA type calls.

[/QUOTE]


That isn't what is happening. OKC is very physical on off ball defense and on ball defense before the shot. When a guy goes into his shot that is when they back off, but by that time the guy is already flustered much of the time.

The vast majority of cheap calls happen when a guy is shooting, or getting ready to shoot.

SGay is a nice player but he gets absurd whistle and detracts from his game, at least the appreciation of it. NBA doesn’t realize they are cheapening their product and selling their talent short by gifting them all this shit that isn’t really necessary. Yes we are obsessed with numbers and bigger equals better in a fundamentally flawed outlook but still it ends up shooting themselves in the foot. We would appreciate SGay on 25 ppg with out the absurd whistle and him having to earn more buckets than him pulling 30+ with the equivalent of bumpers on in bowling.