Last week the NBA announced that they will be cracking down on flopping. This week we've been hearing different takes on what the new rules on flopping could mean.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is wondering if the NBA refs will still reward the flop and let the review process take care of it later. Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin doesn’t think the new flopping rules will do anything more than put more money in the NBA’s pocket.
I am happy that the NBA has admitted that they have a problem. That is step one to recovery!
What are the rules on flopping for the 2012-13 season?
- All questionable flopping plays will be reviewed by the league.
- The first violation will result in just a warning.
- The second violation will result in a $5,000 fine.
- The third violation will result in a $10,000 fine.
- The fourth violation will result in a $15,000 fine.
- The fifth violation will result in a $30,000 fine.
- Six or more violations could result in a suspension.
These rules really are not the strict ones that I was hoping for, but they are a start. My hope is that this isn’t just a show for the fans. Remember a few seasons ago when the NBA was going to crack down on players showing up the referees? We saw an increase in technical fouls for the first few games around the league and then everything went back to normal. I hope that these rules help eliminate much of the obvious flopping we’ve been seeing in recent years; that are even more obvious thanks to YouTube and GIFs – like this Chris Bosh “play“ that you Stiffs love.
It is also my hope that these flopping rules might bring back the blocked shot. Just watch some of Sonics vs. Nuggets playoffs from 1994 and you’ll see how many times guys actually attempted to block shots on fastbreaks instead of trying to draw charges. It was a thing of beauty and the way basketball should be played. Yes, there is an art to drawing a charge, I suppose, but it sure has been frustrating watching guys like Anderson Varejao taking charges on Jason Terry instead of just blocking his shot. Varejao, you’re a big man, block the shot!
Griffin’s comments on flopping have to be the funniest ones though. He has established himself as one of the league’s premier floppers and now the league is trying to take his best defense away. Just watch this play and listen to Chris Webber’s commentary: right here. It would best serve Griffin to get the flopping out of his game and gain back the respect he deserves from fans and players.
The league is full of guys who have honed the flopping craft. And it's nice to see the league doing something to take it away.
Nate_Timmons on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nate_Timmons
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