Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was asked about officials’ missing fouls committed on him and why he doesn’t complain about it. Shai acknowledged the human nature of referees and observed how often he goes to the line.
Question: “A lot of stars that have usage like you do talk a lot to officials in between possessions. That’s not something I see you do ever. What do you credit that to? Toughness or maturity?”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: “I just feel like an official, you can’t be perfect. Every player wants the officials to be perfect. There are missed calls just like we turn over the basketball and make mistakes and I get plenty of foul calls, so I’m good.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on why he doesn’t complain to the officials during the game
“There are missed calls just like we turnover the basketball and make mistakes.”
“…and I get plenty of foul calls” pic.twitter.com/BrvS0xJhmT
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) March 9, 2022
Shai sits among the top players with free throw attempts per game this season, though he doesn’t have the most per game. He does lead the league in total free throws made, though Giannis Antetokounmpo beats him out in attempts in both categories.
Total
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 714 – 475 (FTA – FTM)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 591 – 517 (FTA – FTM)
3. Luka Doncic – 533 – 420 (FTA – FTM)
4. DeMar DeRozan – 511 – 440 (FTA – FTM),
5. Paolo Banchero – 468 – 333 (FTA – FTM)
Per Game
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 11.2 – 7.4 (FTA – FTM)
2. Luka Doncic – 8.9 – 7.0 (FTA – FTM)
3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 8.8 – 7.7 (FTA – FTM)
4. Trae Young – 7.8 – 6.6 (FTA – FTM),
5. DeMar DeRozan – 7.6 – 6.6 (FTA – FTM)
Giannis Antetokounmpo sits comfortably atop the free throw attempts list this season, with teams often intentionally fouling him because they can’t physically stop him when he’s going to the rim. Sending him to the line is also a preferable alternative to him dunking through contact.
Luka Doncic and Shai are barely separated by 0.1 free throws, so their positioning as No. 2 and No. 3 can change rapidly. Trae Young is unlikely to lose his spot at No. 4, given his season is over, unless DeMar DeRozan increases his free throw rate drastically.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Could Have Thrown Shots At Luka Doncic
The phrasing of the question seemed pretty pointed at Shai’s draft classmate Luka Doncic. The pair were the two guard on the All-NBA First Team last season and will likely return to it this season. Luka is well-known for arguing with officials, often refusing to run back on defense because he is complaining to officials.
Shai is averaging 30.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists this season, currently leading the MVP race alongside Nikola Jokic. Luka isn’t in direct competition with either due to the Mavericks’ inferior record, but he has arguably the best individual stats of any player this season with 34.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 9.8 assists.
This was an opportunity for Shai to stoke the flames of a budding rivalry with Doncic but he focused on himself and gave the referees some credit. Doncic flies off the rails whenever he has a call go against him, but Mavericks fans would live with a tantrum or two given the scale at which he impacts the team.
The battle of best player from the 2018 Draft Class between the two players will heat up in coming seasons, with Shai winning an MVP this season giving him a leg-up over Doncic, who has been an All-NBA First Team lock since 2019-20.
While the interviewer couldn’t bait Shai into attacking Doncic, it’s fair to say we’ll see these standout guards battle each other for years to come. The Thunder and Mavericks play again this year on the final day of the regular season.
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