To better prepare the NBA officials for the flopping policy next year, Daily Basketball has compiled a list of flops to be on the lookout for. This list is completed; however, it provides a good start. (If you’re reading this post via an RSS feed, you may need to click-through in order to watch the videos. Not surprisingly, most search results came back with videos of the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz.
Vlade Divac has passed to the torch to a generation of new actors, including Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen. And Jarrons Collins and Matt Harpring. And Shaquille O’Neal, Amare Stoudemire, and Kurt Thomas. And Chris Paul. And Pau Gasol.
The “offensive charge” flop
The most common of all basketball flops. Typical a smaller player tries to “take a charge” from a larger player, occasionally big men pretend to be knocked to the ground by point guards. Minimal contact is exaggerated, or in this case, just hallucinated.
The “fighting through a screen” flop
The flopper in the performance could either be the screener, or the defensive player trying to get around a solid pick. Screeners may pretend to get knocked over by the defensive player, and the defensive player may act like he got shouldered/kneed/tripped by the screener.
The “flying body parts” flop
Commonly, the defensive player pretends to be elbowed/shoved/punched unnecessarily. On the other hand, offensive players unfairly “flop” an and-one by kicking out their legs (see Kobe Bryant and Memo Okur) or jumping into opponents to draw a foul.
The “hurricane seizure” flop
After drawing contact, players spin, flip, fall, and flail around the court before falling to the ground. Flopping players tend to deny gravity and bounce all over the place before coming to a stop. One time when this happens his when a player loses control of the ball.
The “ref must be blind” flop
These outrageous calls normally require a six-to-eight certification course, or acting classes at the local community center. Sometimes the refs bite on these horrible plays, other times it just provides a good laugh.
The “possessed floorboard” flop
It could also be an basketball, basketball hoop, jersey, shoe, referee, coach, or spilled popcorn or drinks. Unlike the “ref must be blind” flop, these are typically unintentional flops — however, they still end in a “hurricane seizure”-like result.
A brief review
A generation has grown up trying to emulate Michael Jordan. Now the young players of the world have a new idol: Air Manu. Let your flop speak.
hile the NBA’s new flopping policy is a strong step in the right direction, only time will tell if the policy will make a large impact on the game.
David Stern has spoken out against the flop, so has the blogosphere, and now the fans will see how the league determines a flop, which has been all too prominent. The flop has become a talent, a skill that’s practiced, and openly acknowledged. Manu Ginobili, Pau Gasol, Jarron Collins…every team has one or more players who looks to draw the offensive foul.
Paraphrasing David Stern: “Oh Vlade (Divac)? Vlade made a living (on flopping). And we used to say to him, ‘How many times are you flopping?’ and he said, ‘Every time’.”
The referees already review tapes to evaluate their calls, and note their non-calls. It won’t be too difficult to spot out the flops and then fine/suspend those players, right? However, the problem with this rule is that — just like real-time officiating — it’s still all subjective.
Is it possible to “define” a flop? There are many situations where players could flop: fighting through a screen, getting “shoved in the back” on a box out, or drawing an and-one. Realistically, it has to be done on a case-by-case basis, which leaves much to be discussed. The NBA has definitely made a move in the right direction; however, expect there to be uproar when players aren’t suspended for what we see as a clear flop.
Can’t wait until the next season of college basketball? Suffering from March Madness withdrawal?
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A quote from the release flyer:
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TICKET COUNTER (last updated June 2, 1:50 PM Eastern time):
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In the first edition of our theoretically four-part series, check out 34 reasons why Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics should win the NBA championship this season. Some are serious, others cynical and sarcastic, but feel free to add your own.
They have the Three Amigos.
So it’s not an San Antonio Spurs-Detroit Pistons matchup. The grind-it-out Spurs-Nets Finals a couple years ago was horrendous. The Phoenix Suns may have been eliminated from the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean the fast break has to be. (Yes, I know, the Spurs play great basketball that should be enjoyed by all true fans of the sport).
The Celtics won the season series against the Pistons 2-1. And they’re only loss was by a mere two points.
They’re from Boston. The Patriots, the Red Sox…it’s a pretty successful city.
The Celtics don’t have to play the Washington Wizards.
Kevin Garnett deserves a championship ring. There aren’t any “lifetime achievement” awards, but if there were, KG would deserve one. One of the top five players in the league throughout his career, Kevin Garnett is the glue of this Celtics team.
Not only do they have one deserving star, they have three. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, no member of Pierce/Garnett/Ray Allen trio has won an NBA championship.
They have a better record against teams in the Western Conference that the East. If any team in the East can overthrow the Western dominance (for a year), it’s the Celtics.
The team started strong, what’s to say they won’t finish strong? The team started 27-3 start, tying the historic record for best record through 30 games.
Somebody else has got to step up, aside from Pierce and KG. (see exhibit A and exhibit B)
Everybody wants to see a 1980s Lakers-Celtics rematch. Or at least that’s what the NBA’s PR department wants us to believe.
The Celtics must be the most blogged about team in the league, not only on overall posts, but also based on the number of blog dedicated solely to the Cs. Not sure what that has to do with anything, but they’ve definitely got enough media coverage, depending on whether you count blogging as “real” media or not.
The team has managed to overcome a transparent Ray Allen in the postseason. I thought Shuttleworth “got game?”
Rajon Rondo has played well for the Celtics at the point guard (combo guard?) position. And he’s not Sam Cassell.
They’ve played in two Game 7s so far. Sure, it may be exhausting, but the Celtics aren’t getting rusty any time soon.
They led the league in scoring margin through the regular season, outscoring their opponent’s by over 10 points per game.
Two-thirds of SportsNation believes in them.
They’re the only team in the league to beat every opponent at least once.
A championship redeems Danny Ainge. A year ago, fans called for his removal. Now, Ainge has been named the Executive of the Year after the Cetlics broke the record for the best single-season turnaround, 42 games.
They’re old. Not as old as the Spurs (average age: 31.6 years), but they’ve got some decent experience.
They’ve got the Legacy.
The Celtics blew out the Lakers twice. If the Lakers are still handed the Western Conference championship on the silver platter, the Celtics should like their odds.
In addition, they swept the San Antonio Spurs in their season series, pulling off a couple close victories.
The Celtics can play on the road. It’s hard to believe, after it took them a half-dozen tries in the playoffs, but the Celtics had the best road winning percentage in the league.
They’re the Boston Celtics, for crying out loud. They’ve already earned 16 championships — the city is destined for another one.
Did I mention we don’t want another boring Spurs-Pistons matchup?
Are you cheering for the Celtics? Feel free and leave a comment on why you’re a fan. Bandwagoners need not apply.
NBA officials, coaches, and players are all responsible for illegally affecting the outcome of games. That’s according to former referee Tim Donaghy. Oh wait, you say Donaghy himself was accused of gambling on dozens of games he refereed? That might tarnish he credibility a little bit.
While it’s justified to assume that Donaghy is desperately looking for a way to avoid an extended period of jail time, the idea of a rigged NBA is already out there. Certainly, there’s a cult out there (many bloggers included), that think the NBA is set up — or at least strongly biased.
One popular “proof” that the NBA has been set up is the 1985 NBA Draft Lottery. The theory goes that the in order to give a large market (the New York Knicks) a high draft pick, the league froze the team’s envelope. At 4:50 of the, the man placing the envelopes inside the wheel unnecessarily tosses the Knicks’ envelope into the side of the wheel, bending the corner. With either the “bent corner” or “frozen envelope,” the league managed to give the Knicks their superstar legend Patrick Ewing and a decade of big-market success.
Of course, the thought of a rigged NBA is an outlandish one. Especially with the intensely competitive players and coaches who play to win from a very early age. However, with the 2008 NBA Lottery approaching and a possible Lakers/Celtics Finals, keep an eye out for suspicious activities.
Just a brief post today. The San Antonio Spurs escaped from the New Orleans Hornets, winning the series in seven games. Maybe the league isn’t fixed for a Celtics-Lakers rematch in the Finals after all, as 49.5 out of 50 states were rallying behind the Hornets. Even though San Antonio has been less than overwhelming this season, they’ve got a great shot at knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers. Meanwhile, it’s hard to say how the Celtics will play against the Detroit Pistons, especially at the Palace.
Which teams emerge to the NBA Finals? You may make a strong case for any of the four teams remaining; the Pistons and Spurs are going to give the #1 seeds a run for their money, that’s for sure.
