Getting straight to the point: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-baiting and flopping have noticeably increased in recent games. The 2025 MVP has drawn criticism from much of the basketball community—aside from Oklahoma City Thunder fans—for going down too easily.
This frustration boiled over when Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels took matters into his own hands, committing a flagrant one foul on SGA with 6:14 left in the fourth quarter. The incident sparked boos from the Paycom Center crowd, who rallied behind their star.
McDaniels addressed the foul during the post-game press conference, offering his thoughts on the heated moment.
Jaden McDaniels Confesses the Real Reason for Flagrant 1 Foul on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The moment turned contentious in the fourth quarter when SGA dribbled past McDaniels, who responded with a blatant shove to the back, sending him to the floor. Despite the flagrant foul, the Timberwolves showed little reaction—perhaps a reflection of the ongoing flopping narrative surrounding Gilgeous-Alexander.
Luguentz Dort attempted to confront McDaniels, but Naz Reid stepped in to block his path, leading to a brief exchange of words on the court.
Jaden McDaniels was given a flagrant 1 for this foul on SGA. pic.twitter.com/AECX5FSngc
— ESPN (@espn) May 23, 2025
McDaniels responded nonchalantly in the post-game press conference: “I just wanted to foul him for real. I wasn’t even mad. I just had fouls to use.”
McDaniels addressed the topic after finishing the game with five fouls. Guarding Gilgeous-Alexander has become a growing challenge for defenders, especially amid ongoing debate about his tendency to draw contact. While SGA often goes down within the rules and without apparent malicious intent, some players and pundits remain unconvinced.
Foul-baiting occurs when a player receives contact from the opposition player and falls dramatically to the floor to catch the referee’s attention. Even LeBron James is included on most people’s flopping list of NBA players despite being one of the best to grace the game.
On the other hand, some people acknowledge that the 2025 MVP possesses the skill to draw fouls and get to the charity stripe at will.
‘Free Throw Merchant’ Does the Job for OKC
Critics view the “free throw merchant” label as a judgment of what they view as flopping or overreliance on fouls when the player hits the deck. Many players get coined with these terms, and no player does a better job of drawing fouls than Gilgeous-Alexander.
He’s drawn 48 shooting fouls in 12 playoff games and sent to the charity stripe 9.2 times. Significantly, Gilgeous-Alexander knocked down 7.8 free throws as well.
Many fans believe free throws are easy points, but in reality, they’re one of the toughest skills to master. How many players can consistently shoot 90% from the line? Very few. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came close, averaging an impressive 89.9% during the regular season.
That level of efficiency highlights the difficulty of the craft. As for the ongoing flopping concerns, it’s time for the NBA to implement a more effective strategy to address the issue.
