NBA Off-Season Thread

This appears to be one of those rare trades that actually seems to make sense for everyone involved.

 

NBA finally passes anti-flopping policy:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8457259/nba-establishes-new-anti-flopping-penalties-fine-players

About frickin time. With all the unnecessary rule tinkering over the years, this is the one area that's been screaming out to be addressed to no avail. Fans despise flopping, yet for years the NBA's reaction was essentially to throw up its arms and say "ehh, whatta ya gonna do?" About time they take it seriously.

 

Fucking fucking bullshit -- this must also be accompanied by a specific directive to the officials that they have, and have always had, the authority to call technical fouls for flopping:

Rule 12A, Section V, article a)

http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_12.html?nav=ArticleList


Fruitbag flopping by definition is detrimental to the game. It is an attempt to distort the outcome of the game, gain unfair advantage, cause opponents to be penalized for legal moves, mislead officials into making illegitimate calls, and undermines public belief in the credibility of the game.

Officials should be specifically empowered to call technicals for egregious acts of flopping. Unless it starts costing teams points on the court, nobody gives a shit. Five grand to players making multi-millions is chicken change.


BTW, ALL technicals should be two shots plus loss of possession. Make 'em fuckin' hurt. I would also change the throw-in procedure after technicals to give the offended team the ball at half-court, and also mandating all members of the defensive team must remain inside the defensive 3-point circle until the ball is touched inbounds, which would essentially allow the offended team an opportunity at a wide-open catch-and-shoot 3-point attempt after a tech.

That would make techs in many cases 5-point plays. Put that rule in and people will fuckin' behave.

 

Starman, my understanding is that officials still have the authority to assess Ts under Rule 12A, Section V, article a, correct? This did not take away that authority, instead it merely added additional procedures for fines and potentially suspensions. So I don't see the problem with it.

The basic problem with Rule 12A, Section V, article a, is that refs have almost never ever used it for flops. In part because I think many lack the balls, not knowing for sure if a flop is real or faked at the time. And, in part because it can be pretty frickin hard to tell the difference in live action, refs usually have no idea that they've been conned until they go back and watch the videotape after the game.

These prodedures provide a way to go back afterwards and nail the guys who've been getting away with it during the games, and I have no problem with that. I hope they administer the fines quite liberally in the beginning until the message starts to sink in that this shit ain't being tolerated any longer. The days of the NBA adopting Euro soccer flop practices need to end.

 

A good rule of thumb would be to assume it is a flop if the player comes from any country where soccer is the No. 1 sport.

 

Well-played right there, sir.

 

Or they played at Duke.

 

They've always had the authority to deal out T's for flops -- they should be ordered to do so.

Until they do, ticky-tack fines for flops won't do shit. What does a Wade or LeBron care about a $5,000 fine?

Very much true. The encroachment of Eurofruitbag soccer flopping into American sports must be crushed.

(Another good way to deal with floppers, especially Dookie floppers: tell offensive players that if they're being guarded by a flopper, about the second possession of the game, just put your shoulder down, put your head down, bulldoze the motherfucker into the floorboards and make sure to leave size-14 footprints stamped into his groin and solar plexus as you power over him. If you're gonna get tagged for a charge, get your money's worth out of it.)

 

Bottom line, Starman, is that way did not work. Refs had the authority to call those Ts for flopping before but, for whatever reason, they never did and the problem just kept getting worse. So why not try something different?

It's a lot harder to con one viewing slow motion replay with endless repeat than a set of human eyes one time in live action. Now they have to fool both to get away with it, before only the latter.

And who says they'll only be fined 5K? If that doesn't work, make it more, and keep increasing unitl the message sinks in.

 

Order the refs, publicly, to grow some balls and start calling techs for flops.

They'll get it wrong some times, but they'll usually get it right, and that will put a huge damper on it.

 

Been reading up on Detroit. Looks like Joe Dumars is assembling a young team of good promise.

Anyone know much about the center from Ukraine? Middleton and English could be second-round steals.