He receives the pass from Duncan as he comes around the pick, so only dribbled once. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying though.
The NBA needs a formal, supervised review process for all refs, for every single game (like the NFL does). The refs should be held told when they made a poor call or alerted to fouls they missed, simply to know their own tendencies. I know the NFL is borderline fascist in this regard, with disciplinary systems and constant review by independent teams DURING the games. I do understand the difference between the NBA and the NFL, and moreover between basketball and football specifically. There obviously are significantly fewer NFL games thus making extensive review more practical than for an 82 game season. Also, having refereed both, basketball is admittedly much, much more difficult to control. Besides the fact that basketball doesn't have the advantage of specialized positions for officials, allowing them to focus on a few specific positions and a few specific types of fouls, basketball overall is much more subjective. Add in the fact that it is so highly paced, it becomes a very overwhelming task. Ginobili is a junkyard dog, and thats why I hate/respect him. This play however was simply a stab in the dark, he was looking for the bail out foul instead of trying to make a play (when the defense wasn't even contesting his shot). I have no respect for bail out calls. Luckily Tony Allen didn't contest the shot like some players might have. If there was contact, Manu would have three free throws because there is no way a charge would be called in that situation, even though it should be. You can't lower your shoulder into a defender like that. I wish more charges were called for ballhandlers lowering their shoulder and driving into the chest of the defender, like most guards do to Yao. As Bullard says, Yao 'has to be able to occupy his own space.'
The question is, does the NBA need to discourage this type of play? I think to most of us, the answer is obvious...YES. If I was the NBA, I would attempt to do this in one of two ways: 1. Give more power to the refs. As much as they suck sometimes, if you made it a rule that a flop, or attempted flop, is a foul on the flopper. In a way, they've already started this by giving the defense the benefit of the doubt if the defender just stands straight up and gets jumped into (like Yao does a lot). The problem with this is that the definition of a flop is ambitious, and you are relying on the refs to make that split second decision. Still, we all can pretty much tell a flop from a foul when we see it...the refs should be able too, also. 2. Fine players for flopping. My guess is this would be difficult to get past whatever players union / agreements, etc. But, if you had some kind of system where afterwards, with the benefit of instant replay, a panel determines if it is a flop or not, and that player gets fined for the play. I'd have the fine scale start out as a small fine for the first flop and grow into larger fines for each additional flop. (say $5k for flop 1, $10k for flop 2, $20k for flop 3, $40k for flop 4, $80 for flop 5....or something like that).
The best way to stop flopping is to just let the play go and make it a no-call. It hurts the team a lot more if the refs just lets the flopper stays on the ground and whine, while the opposing team goes down the court 5-on-4 for a fast break.
I don't know if it was a flop as much as a heads-up play to avoid the contact by Allen. Ginobli is obviously trying to draw contact, just like T-Mac does from that distance. When Allen steps out of his way, it leaves Ginobli off-balance with no chance to get fouled or get a good look at the basket. I know that Ginobli flops enough that it should be assumed, but this one doesn't look like it.
Look at his right elbow right before and after he catches the ball.......he's clearly aiming for the defender's face the entire way!
I really hate Barron Davis, AI and Manu for their cheap style of play. I know it is a part of the game but they should not be awarded for their acting abilities.
Oh OK, I watched it again. I didn't originally see that Duncan handed the ball to him. I thought he had the ball the whole time and was dribbling around Duncan's pick. Still a horrible flop, though.
Not a flop, he was trying to draw a foul, it's like players back-in a guy in the post and the guy does an ole and the player goes down expecting contact.
So true. I'm sure Allen is smart enough...but something tells me Garnett (and Tom T to a lesser extent) assisted the "learning" process. Not the same. I think you're entirely missing the point. The rules state that a defensive player is entitled to a vertical position he has established. Manu continuously pushes that rule to a ridiculous extreme by jumping into all defenders as part as his offensive drive repertoire. He gets the favorable call 90% of the time even though it's him who initiated the contact. Tony Allen's counter strategy in no way reflects Ginobili's intention.
Pump faking somebody and jumping into them, or just trying to create contact while shooting is not a flop. You can argue that it's a cheap play, but that still wouldn't make it a flop. Regardless, seeing him trying to draw contact and busting his ass is hilarious.
And you, like the previous poster are incorrect. Nowhere do I mention pump fakes. The entire comment had to do with Ginobili driving into a defender who has already established a position. Ginobili flails about and gets the blocking call. If that's not flopping, you're not watching.
