So many people say this about OKC but the evidence is not really there for it. They foul a ton... and get called for a ton of fouls. (They're 28th in opponent FT rate.) And you "can't touch Shai"... but they don't draw any fouls. (They're also 28th in FT rate.) - ThreadSky

jadubin5.bsky.social • 5 days ago

So many people say this about OKC but the evidence is not really there for it.

They foul a ton... and get called for a ton of fouls. (They're 28th in opponent FT rate.) And you "can't touch Shai"... but they don't draw any fouls. (They're also 28th in FT rate.)

Reposted from Hoop Informatics

"It's so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton. You know, they really do. They foul. They foul all the time. And then you know you can't really touch Shai. And it's a very frustrating thing and it takes a lot of mental toughness to try to play through it." - Chris Finch

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dan-untapped.bsky.social•5 days ago

They just foul so much that it would be impossible for a ref to call it each time. It’s smart. But he’s right that it also seems ridiculous that they have one of the biggest grifters in Shai.

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

The Seattle Seahawks defense approach - they can't call everything. It sadly works

jadubin5.bsky.social•5 days ago

I would refer you to the previous skeet.

dan-untapped.bsky.social•5 days ago

Finch didn’t say they don’t get called for fouls, he just said they foul. It’s true (3rd in PF per game.) And he didn’t say the Thunder get a lot of foul calls, he just said Shai is a grifter that gets a lot of calls. It’s also true. (9 FTs a game.)

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

When Shai shoves a dude in the chest twice and then gets to go to the line it's a good sign that macro level team statistics aren't the proper tool for measuring what Finch is correctly saying about SGA

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

OKC team free throw attempts isn't an honest way of measuring SGAs grifting. At the very least look at specifically his free throw total (although even that would be incomplete)

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

For instance, SGA took 17 free throws tonight while the rest of his team only took 12. Using 8-9 other players as cover for SGA is using data to obscure, not reveal

rcmoore.bsky.social•5 days ago

I take your first point that there’s data that they foul a lot, which overrides how one might *feel* about calls they actually get on the whole. But SGA also takes more FTs per game than anyone not named Giannis. So I don’t think their FT rate as a team necessarily contradicts what Finch is saying

b-michael23.bsky.social•5 days ago

Based on what he said, you obviously should have looked at Shai’s FT rate and not the team’s.

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

Right? Talk about a dishonest reply

munkybutlers.bsky.social•5 days ago

He gets marginal foul calls AND gets away with excessive off arm shoving. The middy against Clark in the 1Q was like textbook, off arm with extension and nothing.

If it's JUST marginal foul calls, sick. Treat em like Harden. But the illegal advantage creation he makes is when it feels cheap

kekokiri.bsky.social•5 days ago

He did this against the Grizz in the playoffs too, seems like a repeat offender. He’s in the same vein as Kerr in that way.

mar-moo6.bsky.social•5 days ago

Um, he didn’t say you can’t touch any of the Thunder players. So what the team’s FT rate is irrelevant here. He said you can’t touch SGA. Which is true. Shai gets a ton of calls in his favor.

shajo127.bsky.social•5 days ago

He said you can't touch Shai and he is 2nd in FTA. Also I feel there is a bit of play physical early and often which forces the refs to call a lot of fouls and a lot of times they are going to let more go.

jadubin5.bsky.social•5 days ago

@jpjaco.bsky.social He's second in FTA because he leads the league in drives by like a million and has great pace and fakes and everything else that makes him tough to guard. His foul rate on drives is south of RJ Barrett's. People just take whatever guy goes to the line and pretend it's unearned.

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

He's definitely great and skilled, no one should deny that. He also does lots of the unethical tricks to create fouls out of nothing. He also blatantly pushes off over and over and gets to go to the line for it. Data matters a lot but so does watching how the data is created

jpjaco.bsky.social•5 days ago

When he gets a touch foul followed by pushing a guy in the face and getting FTAs for it, it will lead to comments like this. Finch is correct to bring it up, not only is it unfair competitively but it makes the NBA product look bad

utm.bsky.social•5 days ago

There isn't a correlation between drives and FTA

tulm24.bsky.social•5 days ago

Shai had the same amount of free throws as the wolves in the first half. 14 free throws from one player through 3 quarters. The evidence was there tonight.

sbomms.bsky.social•5 days ago

Where does SGA rank in FTA attempts among all NBA players this season?

tulm24.bsky.social•5 days ago

Second lmao 😂😂

perilg73.bsky.social•5 days ago

Love his honesty. He is spot on. I’m glad he called them out putting the league on blast.

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