Flopping in the NBA is out of control

[jgod213]

Flopping is unsportsmanlike conduct, and should be treated as such; make it a technical foul.

The refs are never going to call every single flop as a T, but just that threat that a flopped MIGHT get T'ed up should be a deterrent for the most egregious abusers.  If the refs just call the most obvious ones, then I'd expect you'd see a big improvement.

Plus, it's a simple, I think obvious, fix.  See if that solved the problem enough (it's never going to be perfect) before devising any more complicated solutions.

Hockey already tried this, they came up with a Diving penalty.

It rarely gets called and has not stopped players and even teams (i.e. Montreal Canadiens) from employing the flop when necessary.

I do like the suggestions of calling less anticipatory/reactionary fouls, but if you try to get the refs to go too far with it you're going to get the scorers of the world worked up and hence more technicals/suspensions for marquee players.  Just fine the guys that take flopping too far, make it hurt where it counts...

[Eja117]

Just saw an article on ESPN, and Huffington Post on Van Gundy's complaints on flopping.

Check out the videos at the bottom of this article:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/james-jones-flop-jeff-van-gundy-rant-heat-knicks_n_1427871.html

I hate this stuff, and agree that it does ruin the game. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Vlade Divac disagrees with Van Gundy.

Vlade Divac is a wuzzy who elevated wuzziness to an art, when it should have been booed out of the sport. Did Bill Russell ever do that? I greatly prefer a Steamer who just blocks you and says "Get out of here"

[Chris]

Unfortunately, the league cannot enforce anything against flopping, until they stop making flopping a requirement to draw a charge foul.  Litterally, you cannot get a charge called, unless you hit the floor.  Until they rectify that, they cannot punish anyone for flopping.

[Eja117]

Unfortunately, the league cannot enforce anything against flopping, until they stop making flopping a requirement to draw a charge foul.  Litterally, you cannot get a charge called, unless you hit the floor.  Until they rectify that, they cannot punish anyone for flopping.

So out of curiosity do smaller players draw more charges? Like it was virtually impossible for Shaq to get knocked over, especially by wings. How did that play out? He just flopped every single time, and refs called it?

[OmarSekou]

Just saw on another thread that some people got suspended for getting too heated with each other...and it summed up what I think should happen with flopping.

Flop moderators. People who sift through games looking for flops and handing out punishments so people stop.

I think it's a difficult problem to handle in real time. I don't think refs can be expected to consistently get it right because it happens so fast and players have become expert floppers. Not making a call is the same thing as making the wrong call if a call should have been made.

[jdz101]

Call chris paul for a flop every defensive possession for the clippers and you'd be right 50% of the time.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

The only way (for me at least) to solve this is add another referee. A special one. One who solely focuses on the ball carrier.

His job is to see if the shoulder was lowered enough. If the offensive player is pushing forward too much, or used more than enough elbow moves.

As most refs are watching te entire game, this ref has one job, make sure the offensive player did enough to be called an offensive charge. He doesn't have to worry about anything else.

It might be costly but I bet it'll be effective.

Or they can just give coaches a "challenge" like football have so the play can get reviewed and either be overturned or stay.

[SHAQATTACK]

Babay flops are cool and entertaining

[jdz101]

Been playing ball for a good 15 years and the first thing the coach taught me when I was in position to take a charge was to receive the contact, make a loud noise to grab the referee's attention, and to fall backwards in a safe manner without hurting myself. We had charge taking drills at training where this was practiced.

Kids are being taught that flopping for a charge call is the right thing to do at a junior level. Welcome to basketball guys.

[Finkelskyhook]

Babay flops are cool and entertaining

Any flop is completely nauseating and makes a mockery of the game.

[GreenFaith1819]

That one with Raja and Manu was classic .

Manu knew he'd been beaten at his own game, and then tried to kick his leg out at the end....it was just a reflex.

He can't help it.

He and Vlade Divac get starting spots on my 1st Team All NBA Floppers.

[GreenFaith1819]

Here's one from Bosh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOLq-UVW8z4&feature=fvst

Boozer did get him on the nose, but the delayed reaction from Bosh was just unreal....I guess it took his brain a few secs to register that he'd been nicked.

[wiley]

Didn't Lebron, maybe against the Bull last year, take flopping to a whole new level.  Didn't he twice in one series cause Jeff Van Gandy to go an anti-flopping rant?  Didn't Lebron wink after flailing his head as if he'd been hit on the face even thought he replay showed he wasn't touch at all?  Anyone remember the wink after the big fake?

I remember being very put off by that....the winking told me he thought he was doing what you're supposed to do, what all the big boys do in the playoffs.  instead he was just crossing the line again...

[relja]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHgADbmFLCM

The lowest, most dispicable level a player can stoop to in order to get a foul call.

[Mr October]

I hate watching Lebron continue to flop all over the court.

LeCrab-Flop James. He has the most talent in the NBA, yet he's the biggest flopper. I hate this garbage.

He sure bounced back from that "head whiplash" act that drew a flagrant foul.