The NBA has a SGA problem, too many fouls or too hard to defend?| The Pivot

TL;DR

The panel defends SGA's foul-drawing as high basketball IQ, arguing critics are just hating on a dominant player who can't be stopped.

Key Points

• 1.SGA's foul-drawing is framed as basketball IQ, not flopping. The panel argues that attacking the basket in a tight space and drawing contact is smart play, not theatrical flopping like a big man falling out of position.
• 2.Small-market bias is hurting SGA's recognition. Despite being a walking 30-point scorer who rarely missed fourth-quarter shots in the playoffs, he doesn't get the credit of LeBron or Kobe because he plays in Oklahoma City, not New York or LA.
• 3.Flopping and foul-baiting are near-universal in the NBA. The panel estimates 95% of players try to draw fouls to get to the free-throw line, citing LeBron — 6'8", 290 lbs of muscle — as a long-time practitioner of selling contact.
• 4.The panel's verdict: if you don't want the fouls, stop him. The hosts argue that SGA's foul-drawing only became an issue because defenders couldn't contain him, and the solution is to win or change the rules, not complain about his methods.