<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>The NBA announced to its teams this week at its annual pre-draft camp that fines will be imposed on players starting next season for clear cases of "flopping," ESPN.com has learned. The league office has yet to determine exact fine amounts for offending flops and how fines might escalate for repeat offenders, but in-game arena observers and video reviewers will be instructed to report instances of theatrical flopping for potential punishment as part of postgame reports on officiating and other matters. The league's pledge to crack down on flopping was conveyed to team representatives at Tuesday's competition committee meeting in Orlando. NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson confirmed the new policy Wednesday night saying: "What was clearly expressed to the committee is that we would begin imposing fines next season for the most egregious type of flops. When players are taking a dive, for lack of a better term." The Cavs' Anderson Varejao, left, may be fined next season if his actions are found to be a clear case of flopping. Because a precise penalty system has not yet been structured, it is not yet known whether serial floppers will be subject to possible suspensions after a certain number of fines for flopping, as seen with the league's protocol on technical fouls. Players who accrue 16 technicals during the regular season are hit with a one-game suspension when they get to No. 16 -- the limit is seven technicals during the playoffs -- and receive one-game suspensions for every other technical thereafter (No. 18, 20, etc.).</div> ESPN
This would be great. All of us are used to flopping at this point, but I can only imagine what a newcomer to the sport thinks when they realize how much influence flopping has on the result of games. It's become such a part of the way the game is called that some fouls are not called anymore unless the player fouled takes a dive, like the Brent Barry play at the end of game 4. And how often do charges get called if the player that gets run over doesn't dive backwards onto their ass? It's definitely a problem and needs to be addressed somehow.
I know at least one person who is thrilled to hear this... Seriously, Dwight just became unstoppable.
I dunno about handing out fines, seems kind of more like another avenue for revenue for the NBA. I think somthing like tech fouls would be the better way to go.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Answer_AI03 @ Jun 6 2008, 05:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>if they implemented that rule this season, Paul Pierce would be owing a fortune after finals game 1.</div> I don't even remember him flopping. A bunch of other Celtics players did, but I don't remember Pierce flopping.
How will the NBA assess exactly what a flop is? Anyway, I'm not too fond of the flop fining. It seems excessive. But over the years, the NBA has steadily taken away the physicality of the game (i.e. no forearms on the perimeter). I guess flopping was a way for the defense to have more of an impact. With that said, I'm not a fan of flopping either. Instead I would like to see a more physical game.
What's happened is that the League has seen the exciting brand of offensive basketball as played by the Suns etc, and has seen the physical defense that other teams like the Spurs and Cavs try to play. That meant that last year the ratings for the Finals were awful as two teams who play a slow, unexciting to the masses style of basketball battled it out. These rule changes (e.g. forearms on the perimeter, no-charge zone, flopping to an extent) allow for offensive dominance as it takes away tools from the defense. This will encourage more players to go to the rim rather than making jumpshots, which is what the league wants as that is what is exciting, but personally I already feel that the mid-range game is becoming a lost art, and that will only continue with more rules such as this being brought in. Ratings for this year's Finals are up on last year but stilll disappointing; they're up because of the rivalry but still not that high due to Boston's brand of basketball. The League would much rather the Suns be in the Finals against the Jazz (I know, impossible given the current system) as this would lead to uptempo, exciting games that might just pull in better ratings and therefore better advertisement deals. Money talks.
Chingy - are you saying you're unhappy that they're taking away flopping? You'd rather want teams to have a cheap means of stopping a team on defense? Btw - no charge zones suck. They should be taken away.
This is a teriffic move in my opinion. I'm sick of seeing it happen all the time. I realize two players on my own team are big culprits of this, but I don't care. However, with this move, you can clearly tell the league is making a move to slowly kill all physicality of the league.
I think there's two classes of flopping, personally. There's the extravagant "something out of nothing" flops that mean players fall over from nothing, that's the real problem. But people often get accused of flopping when actually they make a great play. They slide their feet, get in front of the offensive player, get hit and go down. They might go down in an "over the top" manner, but they still took a charge. What these players are trying to do is make it obvious to the refs. There's a fine line between the two, it's got to be said, but it will be a sad day when players get fined just for taking a charge and hitting the floor, and that's the way it seems to be heading.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (chingy0007 @ Jun 9 2008, 05:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think there's two classes of flopping, personally. There's the extravagant "something out of nothing" flops that mean players fall over from nothing, that's the real problem. But people often get accused of flopping when actually they make a great play. They slide their feet, get in front of the offensive player, get hit and go down. They might go down in an "over the top" manner, but they still took a charge. What these players are trying to do is make it obvious to the refs. There's a fine line between the two, it's got to be said, but it will be a sad day when players get fined just for taking a charge and hitting the floor, and that's the way it seems to be heading.</div> I agree that there are two types: Exaggeration and Phantom. I don't mind the exaggerations because as you said it's merely to draw attention to the refs to make the call. The phantom ones that come from absolutely no contact whatsoever are those that piss me off. By the way, there are certain levels to exaggeration, can't turn a light tap into a friggin clothesline like reaction. It'll be hard for the NBA to supervise these and I'm also interested in how they will monitor these. Will the refs do it? Will the league review EVERY game? (No.) Still this new fine will be entertaining for the new season. Always got to let them give it a try. Progress is always welcome.
