Warriors, Knicks, Nuggets, and then the Boston Celtics. Each time the Thunder needed him, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stepped in with a game-winner. It followed a similar theme. Create space and get into his jumper. However, there might be something about it that the NBA soon changes, which could affect SGA’s game.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently revealed the role of the stiff arm for offensive players. The MVP frontrunner has mastered the art, perfecting it to the point it’s become an impulse. However, Windy pointed out to the discrepancy between offense and defense, possibly leading to the league making some changes to the rule.

“You put any sort of pressure on a guy going to the basket. It’s a hand check… I don’t think that’s going away. But the offensive player h being allowed to do something that the defensive player cannot do. If the defensive player does this to the offensive player, two shots, it’s a foul. The offensive player does it, it’s allowed. That’s something that will be raised in the competition committee, I believe,” he said on The Rich Eisen Show.

The concerns are arising because of the inequality between the two sides of the ball game. In the era of hand checking, players could restrict attackers from moving freely. However, Adam Silver has created rules to favor scorers far more than stoppers. Still, just to clarify, Windhorst clarified one thing. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s “art form” of using his off-hand to push defenders isn’t illegal.

“That is something that I think the league could take a look at as they try to deal with this, you know, this guy who cannot be stopped right now,” the analyst said of the specific reason the league may be forced to alter the rules. That being said, SGA is among the most crafty and savvy scorers in the game right now.

The stiff arm isn’t his only weapon. And he methodically studies the game to find loopholes. The Thunder ace is only behind Luka Doncic in terms of scoring average this season. One rule change won’t just blow up his entire game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to have his game criticised

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on an expert performance against the Boston Celtics. His shot-making was elite. He got to his spots regularly and buried the Shamrocks with 35 points and nine assists. He marched into the history books, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s streak for the most consecutive 20+ point games.

However, the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown doesn’t appear pleased with his style of basketball. He indirectly called out SGA for manipulating the game.

“It’s like we commend players for playing the game the right way, but we give the benefit to those who try to manipulate the game to their advantage. I just don’t think it’s basketball. Like, let’s just play basketball. All the foul baiting, I think it’s whatever for me,” Brown said after the loss to the Thunder.

Brown also expressed his frustration during the game, calling out SGA’s foul-drawing ability by saying, “That’s not basketball”. But the numbers weren’t outrageous. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot eight free throws against the Celtics, a fairly normal mark for a high-usage offensive player. And when it came down to it, the Thunder cornerstone didn’t rely on the charity stripe.

Such criticism doesn’t affect Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s learned to live with the mantle of being a ‘foul baiter’, which arguably isn’t true. Some of his games can be frustrating. But even on a night he rewrote history, SGA clarified the top priority is winning. And he is willing for the defending champions to possibly go back-to-back.

Do you want to see the rule change Windhorst suspects could take place?