[Article] Is Manu a flopper: Many opponents not fond of his dramatic falls

Just an interesting article in the S.A. paper today.
ok, let the flaming begin!
Go Finals, Go!

Is Manu a flopper: Many opponents not fond of his dramatic falls

Web Posted: 06/05/2005 12:00 AM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

It started, not surprisingly, when Denver coach George Karl opened his mouth. Having watched Manu Ginobili � legs splayed, arms contorted, neck snapped back, his long, dark locks whipping everywhere � crash into the Nuggets one too many times, Karl encouraged his players to grow out their own tresses.

Not only does Ginobili flop, Karl said, his flowing hair is also a convenient prop to draw fouls.

Seattle's Ray Allen chimed in next. If Ginobili was going to fall down anyway, Allen said, the Sonics' big men might as well help him.

The Phoenix Suns, Shawn Marion joked, were so impressed by Ginobili's alleged flopping during the Western Conference finals they planned to sign up for their own acting lessons.

Ginobili has more than enough evidence to refute charges he has gone from All-Star to All-Fake: the bruised left quadriceps he has been playing with for two weeks (either his second or third of the season � the team has lost count); the groin strain he has carried with him since March; the bruised right quadriceps he suffered plowing into Houston's Yao Ming; a sore back from his too-many-to-remember falls; hip pointers (left and right); and, not the least of which, the black-and-blue nickname Brent Barry hung on him, El Contusion.

"I'm 200 pounds and I'm slashing all the time, going against 300-pound guys," Ginobili said. "I'm telling you it's not easy to go finish, get hit and land on your feet."

More often than not, Ginobili lands with a thud. Lowering his head and driving to the basket time and again, he treats his body as if it were a bumper car, pinballing off defenders until someone has to scrape him off the floor.

"He just goes in there, takes a licking and keeps on ticking," said Sonics center Danny Fortson, who dished out one of the two flagrant fouls Ginobili has attracted during the playoffs.

Ginobili's relentless efforts to take the ball to the rim � and the high-wire moves he uses to get it there � have earned him the respect of his teammates and an ever-growing legion of fans, Karl excluded. They also have rewarded him with 144 free throws in the playoffs. Only Amare Stoudemire and Tim Duncan have shot more.

"He just frustrates teams because he's getting to the basket any time he wants," Tony Parker said. "He's just being aggressive and doing his thing."

Among the things Ginobili does, some of his opponents claim, is flop. Stoudemire was the latest to complain. After Ginobili wrapped him up late in Game 4 of the conference finals, Stoudemire shook loose, in the process flinging Ginobili to his back. Both players received a technical.

Stoudemire credited Ginobili with "a great acting job." Before the playoffs began, Ginobili rarely, if ever, heard similar complaints.

"I don't like people that cry a lot and complain and we had some in the first rounds," Ginobili said. "But I'm not going to make that change my way of playing, the way I feel the game.

"I'm just going to keep doing what I do."

What Ginobili admits to occasionally doing is exaggerating contact that has already been made. Flopping, he said, is different.

"Everybody tries to draw a call and make a ref see it," Ginobili said. "I can't even think of one person who doesn't do that."

The NBA also made it easier for aggressive, athletic players to get to the foul line this season by restricting the amount of contact defenders can make on the perimeter.

Despite the new emphasis, Ginobili grew frustrated early in the season over his inability to draw fouls. As the Spurs began to give him the ball more and more in pressure situations, he seemed to gain more respect from some referees.

During the playoffs, Ginobili has averaged nine free-throw attempts per game, more than three above what he averaged during the regular season. His ability to get to the line, along with his 3-point shooting, has made him one of the league's most efficient players. He has averaged 21.8 points during the playoffs, despite attempting only 12.6 shots per game.

"He's an All-Star," Rasho Nesterovic said, "and it's not flopping that got him there."

Ginobili isn't the first player to be accused of flopping. During Seattle's first-round series, Sacramento coach Rick Adelman said Sonics forward Reggie Evans, "goes down when the air conditioning comes on." Los Angeles Lakers center Vlade Divac is the league's most famed flopper.

Foreign players have a harder time avoiding the label. Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni, who enjoyed a lengthy playing and coaching career in Italy, said the prevalence of soccer in Europe has led basketball players to adopt some of that sport's flopping tactics.

The reputation, while mostly humorous, can have its drawbacks. Malik Rose, who is particularly adept at drawing charges, learned the skill from Divac when they played together in Charlotte. One veteran referee said he had no intention of rewarding Rose's "flopping" before a game last season. He made good on his vow. D'Antoni rates Ginobili's ability to draw fouls as "one of the best." "But," D'Antoni said, "he's also a great player."

Asked if he agreed with Karl's theory that Ginobili's longer mane gets him more calls, D'Antoni laughed.

"George," he said, "is just jealous because he lost his own hair a long time ago."