This post is an embarrassment to humanity and all the progress it has made in the last 500 years or so.
This is really going to be a shock to the poser currently known as "thetatomatis". Luis Scola and Kevin Martin at #3 and #5 respectively on player's poll: NBA's biggest floppers. Ex-Rocket Shane Battier at #6. And these are the players picks, you know, the same ones who play against each other and see it the way it is. Only one Jazz in Top 15; Raja Bell at #8, who is not going to be in the league much longer. Oh my...how times have changed. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1104/nba.biggest.flopper/content.3.html Disgraceful. Disgraceful. Disgraceful.
With Battier, it would be 3,4,5, and 6. :grin: I can't believe Chris Paul is not top 3. And are you not surprised that non of the top 10 is a superstar?
It's a nice world to live in where the Rockets are squeaky clean and vigrin pure and have success, but it's not reality. Meanwhile the teams with superstars get superstar calls. Rockets don't have that. It's just a part of the league. When the Jazz were pushing the Rockets **** in during their last playoff run it was in part because of players like Scola. Gasol and Fisher would love to whine their way to calls during the course of a game. A Thunder game is like watching a free throw line parade. Wade will fall down when an elbow swings within a few feet of his face. Ginobili never met a breeze that couldn't topple him over. Paul Pierce can flop his way into a wheelchair but somehow make it back by the second half. Hopefully in the next 'era' this changes, but as it is this type of play is unfortunately has been at least a part of the success of good teams. Scola's playing a style he learned. Without him, the Rockets probably lose a few more games and we already are barely at 'average'. It sucks, but it is what it is. Here's hoping the next generation of the NBA doesn't require having a few of these players on your roster to win. But I doubt it.
Sounds like a reason for Scola to stop flopping then. The point of flopping is to get the call if you're not getting the call then stop it. Flopping has ruined the NBA.
Floppers on the Rockets. 1. Kmart 2. Luis 3. Lowry 4. Patterson I hate it, jump up and try to block the stinking ball. DD
Blame the NBA and the horrible job it does at officiating.Many players just don't ever get a legit call unless they "sell the foul" to the official. There is usually contact and he over reacts to get the attention of the ref, a bit different from some guys that fake contact and the foul. Either way it makes bad basketball to watch.The officials just plain suck or they are gambling on the side.They are having way to big of an affect on the outcome of games.
I can't really blame the players for trying to do something that will give them an edge. I blame the officials for falling for it. It goes on in almost all sports. Baseball players claiming they caught a ball when they know they didn't. Football players who trip over their own feet, but claim interference. No need to even discuss soccer, as it's just comical. NBA players on every team flop every night, so it's silly to single out certain players. If the league wants to change it they probably could with rule changes, or better training of the Refs. The players want to win, and they are going to do whatever they can to achieve that. Should the rockets be the only team that chooses not to flop? If they did, Rocket fans would probably be real proud of their team for about one week, and then they would say this is silly, if everyone else is going to do it then why aren't the Rockets? It's a league thing, a sports thing really. Rockets just doing what the league allows.
Like Rip said, everybody does it. I agree that Scola had a couple of blatant ones last night (including the one where he locked arms with Gortat from behind and then fell back to make it look like Gortat was fouling him - very creative actually. Scola got the Rockets an important possession from that one). Like it or not, it is part of the NBA game. Players do it because it often works. Players flop to try to draw charges because in NBA foul calling rules it is a much more effective tactic than trying to jump and block a shot, which I would bet leads to a foul call 75% of the time (especially with superstar preferential calls). Scola is an unathletic and slightly undersized power forward. His tricks are what keep him effective. If we can upgrade to a bigger, more athletic all-star power forward, then by all means I hope Morey gets it done. However, in the meantime, Scola contributes to winning by smarts, savvy, and yes a little bit of trickery. Every (decent) team in the league has one or two of these guys on the roster. And people usually call these guys 'savvy veterans.' All the guys you mentioned as the biggest floppers are also the guys every coach seems to want on their team. This is not a coincidence.
"Everybody does it" is not a good excuse to make for Scola. The point being made should be that he doesn't do it effectively enough. That's why Battier called him the worse flopper, he can't do it "correctly". Not all flopping is the same. Effective flopping requires good timing and knowing when it's not worth it. That's when it gives you a real edge in games. Otherwise it's a complete disadvantage because you look like a fool, dont get the call, and get a bad rep with the refs. I dont like flopping in general, but if refs are calling it, then you have to fight fire with fire to have a chance. However, Scola's fighting fire with smoke.
