Since Tuesday Night’s controversial finish to the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors game, all anyone can talk about is the free throw discrepancy between the two teams. In the fourth quarter alone, the Lakers were awarded 23 free throws to Toronto’s two and a difference of 36 free throws for the Lakers to the Raptors’ 13 for the entire game.
This got us thinking. Which NBA teams have gotten the biggest advantage at the free throw line dating back 20 years? We will take a look at the last 20 seasons during both the regular season and the playoffs, determining which teams have had the most favorable whistles in the NBA during this time and which teams have not gotten the benefit of the doubt.
The NBA Teams With The Most Free Throws In The Regular Season In The Last 20 Seasons
1. Denver Nuggets – 39,880 Free Throws (25.5 Per Game, 75.6% FTM)
2. Los Angeles Clippers – 39,025 Free Throws (25.0 Per Game, 75.4% FTM)
3. Utah Jazz – 38,971 Free Throws (24.9 Per Game, 75.7% FTM)
4. Houston Rockets – 38,858 Free Throws (24.9 Per Game, 75.6% FTM)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – 38,654 Free Throws (24.8 Per Game, 78.1% FTM)
6. Los Angeles Lakers – 38,623 Free Throws (24.7 Per Game, 74.9% FTM)
7. Sacramento Kings – 38,083 Free Throws (24.4 Per Game, 76.1% FTM)
8. Minnesota Timberwolves – 37,454 Free Throws (24.1 Per Game, 77.3% FTM)
9. Philadelphia 76ers – 37,362 Free Throws (23.9 Per Game, 75.7% FTM)
10. Charlotte Hornets – 37,337 Free Throws (24.1 Per Game, 75.1% FTM)
11. Washington Wizards – 37,305 Free Throws (23.9 Per Game, 75.9% FTM)
12. Brooklyn Nets – 37,150 Free Throws (23.8 Per Game, 76.3% FTM)
13. Miami Heat – 37,037 Free Throws (23.7 Per Game, 74.7% FTM)
14. Memphis Grizzlies – 36,960 Free Throws (23.7 Per Game, 75.5% FTM)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers – 36,869 Free Throws (23.7 Per Game, 74.7% FTM)
16. Toronto Raptors – 36,629 Free Throws (23.5 Per Game, 78.6% FTM)
17. New York Knicks – 36,545 Free Throws (23.5 Per Game, 76.0% FTM)
18. Orlando Magic – 36,475 Free Throws (23.4 Per Game, 74.1% FTM)
19. Indiana Pacers – 36,222 Free Throws (23.2 Per Game, 77.5% FTM)
20. Detroit Pistons – 36,147 Free Throws (23.2 Per Game, 73.6% FTM)
21. Milwaukee Bucks – 36,142 Free Throws (23.1 Per Game, 75.7% FTM)
22. Atlanta Hawks – 36,022 Free Throws (23.2 Per Game, 76.7% FTM)
23. Boston Celtics – 35,969 Free Throws (23.1 Per Game, 77.8% FTM)
24. Dallas Mavericks – 35,884 Free Throws (22.9 Per Game, 78,3% FTM)
25. Phoenix Suns – 35,830 Free Throws (22.9 Per Game, 77.5% FTM)
26. New Orleans Pelicans – 35,499 Free Throws (22.7 Per Game, 76.5% FTM)
27. Portland Trail Blazers – 35,436 Free Throws (22.7 Per Game, 77.9% FTM)
28. Golden State Warriors – 35,087 Free Throws (22.6 Per Game, 77.0% FTM)
29. Chicago Bulls – 35,062 Free Throws (22.5 Per Game, 77.0% FTM)
30. San Antonio Spurs – 34,190 Free Throws (22.0 Per Game, 76.8% FTM)
Now that the teams with the most free throw attempts per game over the last 20 seasons have been laid out, there are many conclusions to be drawn from this list. First, we can squash the narrative that the Los Angeles Lakers have gotten the most favorable whistle in the NBA. As you can see above, the Denver Nuggets own that title with the Lakers having only the sixth-most free throw attempts since 2004-05.
Then, there is the narrative that the teams with the most free throws are usually the most successful when in fact, it has been quite the opposite during the last 20 seasons. The Nuggets and Lakers are the only two teams that rank in the top 10 to win NBA championships in the last 20 seasons. The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers join them as the only teams with championships since 2004-05 that rank in the top 20.
Now, if we look at the most successful NBA teams since 2004-05, we can see that their whistle has been far less favorable. The Golden State Warriors, who have won four NBA championships since 2015, rank 28th in free throw attempts in the last 20 seasons, relying on their perimeter attack to carry them through. The San Antonio Spurs, who have three NBA championships since 2004-05, rank dead last in free throw attempts as well.
Are we putting far too much emphasis on the correlation between trips to the foul line in the regular season and championships? Well, it appears so.
The NBA Teams With The Most Free Throws In The Playoffs In The Last 20 Seasons
1. Miami Heat – 5,635 Free Throws (24.9 Per Game, 75.2% FTM)
2. Boston Celtics – 5,340 Free Throws (23.4 Per Game, 78.8% FTM)
3. San Antonio Spurs – 4,782 Free Throws (24.2 Per Game, 74.9% FTM)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers – 4,039 Free Throws (25.7 Per Game, 74.3% FTM)
5. Golden State Warriors – 3,902 Free Throws (22.9 Per Game, 76.4%)
6. Los Angeles Lakers – 3,778 Free Throws (25.5 Per Game, 76.0%)
7. Dallas Mavericks – 3,507 Free Throws (25.8 Per Game, 78.4% FTM)
8. Oklahoma City Thunder – 3,353 Free Throws (26.8 Per Game, 80.3% FTM)
9. Denver Nuggets – 3,298 Free Throws (25.9 Per Game, 76.7% FTM)
10. Houston Rockets – 3,084 Free Throws (26.1 Per Game, 73.7% FTM)
11. Los Angeles Clippers – 2,951 Free Throws (26.3 Per Game, 75.0% FTM)
12. Atlanta Hawks – 2,693 Free Throws (22.2 Per Game, 77.3% FTM)
13. Utah Jazz – 2,619 Free Throws (26.5 Per Game, 74.6% FTM)
14. Phoenix Suns – 2,600 Free Throws (23.0 Per Game, 79.5% FTM)
15. Indiana Pacers – 2,418 Free Throws (24.4 Per Game, 75.5% FTM)
16. Toronto Raptors – 2,410 Free Throws (23.4 Per Game, 79.5% FTM)
17. Philadelphia 76ers – 2,365 Free Throws (24.6 Per Game, 76.3% FTM)
18. Memphis Grizzlies – 2,363 Free Throws (25.1 Per Game, 76.4% FTM)
19. Chicago Bulls – 2,307 Free Throws (24.0 Per Game, 76.0% FTM)
20. Milwaukee Bucks – 2,213 Free Throws (22.1 Per Game, 72.4% FTM)
21. Detroit Pistons – 2,114 Free Throws (24.0 Per Game, 75.2% FTM)
22. Brooklyn Nets – 1,961 Free Throws (24.2 Per Game, 76.5% FTM)
23. Orlando Magic – 1,908 Free Throws (26.1 Per Game, 71.8% FTM)
24. Portland Trail Blazers – 1,893 Free Throws (23.6 Per Game, 77.9% FTM)
25. Washington Wizards – 1,891 Free Throws (26.6 Per Game, 75.2% FTM)
26. New Orleans Pelicans – 965 Free Throws (23.0 Per Game, 77.9% FTM)
27. New York Knicks – 828 Free Throws (22.4 Per Game, 76.7% FTM)
28. Sacramento Kings – 476 Free Throws (26.4 Per Game, 78.2% FTM)
29. Minnesota Timberwolves – 403 Free Throws (25.2 Per Game, 77.4% FTM)
30. Charlotte Hornets – 370 Free Throws (24.6 Per Game, 77.3% FTM)
The list above paints an entirely different picture when it comes to the NBA playoffs than it does in the regular season. Every team in the top 10 for free throw attempts in the playoffs since 2004-05 has won an NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder being the only exception. Of course, the Thunder appeared in the NBA Finals in 2012 but fell to the Miami Heat who are No. 1 on this list.
Only the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks have won NBA championships in the last 20 seasons while ranking outside the top 15 in free throw attempts in postseason play. Once again, the Lakers rank sixth in free throw attempts showing there have been successful teams getting more calls but not nearly the same amount of scrutiny or criticism for the attempts they have earned.
What does all of this mean? It means that getting to the foul line will always be an integral part of the game, especially as the games reach a certain level of importance such as in the NBA playoffs. It also means that maybe we should relax and look at the facts in the regular season before claiming the NBA is rigged for one team.
