Who is the most fouled player in the NBA?
In an ultra-competitive environment such as the NBA, there is bound to be a level of foul play and perhaps moments when players cross the line. Of course, the league is not how it used to be. There are far fewer fights between players on the court, with social media and online gaming bringing 'opponents' closer together away from the game.
That being said, fouling is still very much a big part of the game. Whether it is used to halt an opponent's momentum or purely to send a weak free-throw shooter to the line, committing fouls is in fact a very tactical option for teams, especially in the playoffs.
In this article, we will examine which NBA stars were the most fouled in the 2020-21 season. We will do so by looking at who went to the line most frequently and who took the most free-throw attempts overall.
Which NBA star drew the most fouls in the 2020-21 season?
As one would predict, the most fouled players in the NBA this year were those who attack the paint a lot or who attract double-teams on the perimeter.
Based on our analysis of free-throws attempted per game, Giannis Antetokounmpo was the most fouled player in the NBA. The Greek took 9.5 efforts per game and connected with 68.5% of them. His frequency at the line could be down to the fact that his sheer size and athleticism is at times impossible to defend effectively against when he drives down the lane or does his patented euro-step in getting to the rim.
It could also be because opposition teams can use his poor accuracy as a way of limiting the Milwaukee Bucks' points scored. Antetokounmpo's free-throw routine has come under a lot of fire this campaign due to the fact that he takes so long to shoot the ball. In the NBA playoffs, there have been deafening countdowns in arenas as he steps up to take free-throws and they have worked. The 26-year-old has made just 57% of attempts in the postseason.
Antetokounmpo is not the only frontcourt player that teams struggle to defend without fouling frequently. Joel Embiid averaged the most free-throw attempts per game in the regular season (10.7), but because he played ten games fewer than the Greek, he only made 545 efforts overall compared to Antetokounmpo's total of 579.5.
Embiid is arguably more of a nightmare for defenders down low than his Eastern rival. His sheer size means he can post up most opponents in the league and take advantage, but he can also step out to the arc and drain a three. There is also the fact that even if a defender does foul him, the Cameroonian big man connects with 85.9% of his free-throw attempts.
An NBA star of the future and one whose game resembles Embiid's but has more athleticism is Zion Williamson.
The 21-year-old has got a monumental career ahead of him and is tipped for glory. He made 530 free-throws this season, taking 8.7 per game and connecting with 69.8% of them. Williamson will be looking to improve that figure in the coming years as he continues to be one of the most fouled players in the NBA.
Moving into the backcourt, two guards finished inside the top five NBA players to have taken the most free-throws this season, Trae Young and Damian Lillard. Young, in fact, finished second overall behind Giannis with 548 attempts, though he made his at a rate of 88.6%.
Although the 22-year-old has enjoyed early success in his NBA career in getting to the line, the new rules that could be implemented next season may affect how often he does so. The league has stipulated there will be new guidelines for referees surrounding how players draw fouls. Particularly if they move their body or leg towards the defender in an abnormal way which will now be deemed illegal.