Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s NBA greatness is so much more than foul baiting

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SGA is so much more than a foul grifter.

The biggest talking point from the Oklahoma City Thunder’s rise to dominance this season has been their relationship with fouling. The Thunder’s top-ranked defense was born out of a historic ability to force takeaways on opposing teams that involves a lot of subtle grabbing and holding before they get into the passing lanes, which was especially apparent as smaller defenders wrestled with Nikola Jokic in the second round.