Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's worst flop yet could win him an Oscar

During the NBA playoffs, every high-profile player is scrutinized beyond belief. That goes double for the two-time reigning MVP, and sure enough, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been at the eye of a stormy conversation around his foul-drawing tactics.

Everyone knows that athletes are entertainers. They get paid millions of dollars because millions of people watch them. And it isn't atypical for these players to sell contact to get favorable calls; after all, there's a whole lot riding on winning and losing every game this time of year. Whether Gilgeous-Alexander may or may not do this more frequently than other players has been a matter of some debate — and in Game 4, he gave the haters even more ammunition.

Gilgeous-Alexander was able to essentially manufacture a foul out of thin air here. Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox did a great job avoiding Gilgeous-Alexander's body, not even touching him. Yet, SGA was able to turn a late-clock mid-ranger into two free throws (which Gilgeous-Alexander is converting at a 86.4 percent rate for his career).

We need to talk about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's foul-baiting

Like I said, Gilgeous-Alexander's grifting has been a huge talking point this postseason. And yes, this was an especially egregious example. However, I think the conversation around what is going on has been misguided.

First, it's not wise to only point out the worst example of Gilgeous-Alexander's foul-baiting. If you watch carefully, most times he's being fouled based on the letter of the law; you can't really be upset at SGA for getting these calls. Instead, you should be calling for a change in the way we officiate these types of plays: Gilgeous-Alexander is a genius, and he is merely exploiting the way the game is being called. If that changes, he'll be sure to adapt.

The second thing that is not being said enough is that pretty much all the all-time greats draw a ton of fouls. Just go to Basketball Reference and look at the all-time leaders in career free throws per game: Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Pettit, Joel Embiid, Jerry West, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Karl Malone, Oscar Robertson. That's because free throws (more than even layups and 3s) are the most high-value shots in the game — the more times you can get to the line, the better it is for the player and their team's efficiency.

Lastly, and arguably the most interesting component of all of this, is the science behind falling down after you take jump shots. In recent days, a lot of respected voices in the NBA media space have been advocating for the long-term benefits of landing this way.

Here is a take that I thought was particularly interesting:

Gilgeous-Alexander is definitely trying to accentuate contact when he falls over after taking a contested jumper. But it is also helping keep the two-time MVP on the floor (he's played 68 games or more in each of the last four seasons). Remember, availability is the best ability.

So yes, that one specific instance of Gilgeous-Alexander creating two free throws when there was clearly no foul was one of the better acting jobs that you will see on the hardwood. But there is a lot more to the current conversation that most people are missing.

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