Defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder poses a rough challenge for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team’s seamless transition from offense to defense is just one part of the puzzle. The most frustrating, and often turning part of matching against the Thunder, is the mystery of defending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Coaches have become frustrated, and players don’t seem to understand his whistle. As ugly as it may look at times, the Lakers’ Austin Reaves doesn’t mind having the “tough” conversation.

AR15 doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with SGA’s free-throw volume. Reaves isn’t focused on how that part of the game looks on a television screen. The Lakers star commends Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for putting himself on the grill if it means OKC continues to dominate.

“I know that’s a tough topic to talk about because everybody blows it out of proportion. He wants to win and is gonna do whatever it takes to win. If it’s shoot 20 free throws, so be it. If I shoot 20 free throws, I’d be happy,” Reaves said ahead of the Lakers’ second-round bout against OKC.

Reaves was among the players to average a high volume of free throws during the regular season. That trend has continued in the two games he’s played in the playoffs. Austin Reaves doesn’t think it’s an art, which is arguably the best defense in SGA’s case. The Lakers star just sees the logical reasoning behind the Thunder talisman’s unmatched ability to draw contact.

“How many possessions he has the balls in his hands and how much he does attach, you’re not going to shoot 0 free throws,” said Austin Reaves.

Generally, fans would want to listen to what Reaves loves about certain players’ games. However, in this case, they united to stand against the 27-year-old.

NBA fans will not accept Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s playstyle

Fans aren’t speaking out against NBA stars who average a high number of free throws. You rarely hear anyone trying to dismiss Luka Doncic’s game, and he averaged more FTs than SGA in the regular season. The issue remains with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s intent. One fan wrote, ““I don’t think there’s any bad intentions with trying to get to the line.” Besides the fact that it goes completely against the integrity of the game”.

Fans are speaking out against the MVP frontrunner’s ‘foul-baiting’. It’s wild to think Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averages more than a third of his postseason output from the charity stripe. It’s not pleasant as a viewing experience and certainly not fun to coach against. Head coaches like Chris Finch have literally said it’s hard to defend SGA because they can’t touch him.

But as fans saw Austin Reaves step into the reigning Finals MVP’s defense, they weren’t surprised. “Reaves, one of the shamless baiters in the league, no wonder he defends it atleast SGA accomplished something in the league to deserve his whistle,” an explosive remark read. The Lakers star is among the players who can anticipate contact before it comes. Even when struggling to score in the postseason, Reaves’ free-throw volume is almost identical to his regular-season numbers.

Fans, hence, think Reaves doesn’t want to speak against fouling since he gets the calls himself. “Let’s be real, Austin tries to do the exact same thing. He just isn’t at the same level of foul baiting as Shai,” a fan mentioned. Reaves shares the same principles as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to some extent. There are times they aim for contact to keep the game’s flow alive.

But even then, some fans feel there’s a difference. “Reeves goes to the paint and tries to score. He puts pressure on the defense. SGA doesn’t even try to score at the time but instead looks for contact and sells a flop. Two different things,” a fan wrote in Austin Reaves’ defense.

It’s clear that fans just aren’t on the same wavelength as Austin Reaves. Some are hopeful the Lakers star’s mind changes after their upcoming series against the Thunder. One fan said, “Can’t wait for this bum to get that OKC belt”.

Playing against a player who can disrupt plans if he targets a certain defense sparks an entirely different emotion. Coaches feel helpless against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, that’s not to say the OKC star isn’t talented. His efficiency and dynamic scoring are the pleasant parts of his game. Everyone loves it when he plays ethical hoops.

But the plays where contact feels forced rather than earned are where fans draw the line. There’s a strategic aspect to pinning teams down with foul trouble. Sometimes, that tests the nerves of the millions wanting to watch entertaining basketball. At the very least, Austin Reaves seems to have accepted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s impact on the series.

All that’s left to do is see how the Lakers manage to get past those testing moments and keep their composure.