Shai Gilgeous Alexander Fires Back on Free Throw Criticism

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fired back at critics with an Instagram caption reading "free smoke merchant," a tongue in cheek nod to the "free throw merchant" label tied to how often he gets to the line. The moment is telling because he is not just drawing whistles; he is scoring 32 points per game and steering the Thunder to a 37-8 top mark in the West, so the chatter clashes with elite production. Merlin sees the pattern. Shai drew the second-most free throw attempts in his MVP campaign and sits third this year behind Luka Dončić and Deni Avdija, yet he answers skeptics with performance rather than words. Expect him to keep attacking the rim, letting box scores and wins quiet the noise while the debate over style and officiating simmers.