Offensive Flopping

Yappi

Go Buckeyes
Thought this was an interesting paragraph from an article about the Rockets/Warriors.

Watched a HS kid this season flop multiple times shooting 3-pointers. Thought it was bush league but this is just trickling down from the NBA because they do nothing about it...

If somebody had the inclination to count how many times a player fell to the court, I predict the number would be startling. Shooting while falling down to sell a foul has become a necessary skill in the NBA, to the point that it should be practiced with equal occasion as passing and free throws. For Harden, it feels like every drive and jumpshot is accompanied by a flop.

https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/...0190429-pkmfkln4njganbhawybl4wurny-story.html
 
 
James Harden has to be the most annoying player to watch with the way in which he tries to game the game to draw fouls and test the limits on what's perceived as traveling.

In game 1 of their series with the Warriors it would have been a travesty if he would have been awarded free throws on his 3 point attempt at the end of the game. There's no way that as a shooter you should be awarded free throws after creating space with a step back or side step followed by jumping forward 2-3 feet to initiate contact with a vertical defender that you just forced to cover more space to contest your shot.
 
This has had a trickle down. Last year one of the better players in our league drew 2-3 fouls against us flopping while shooting 3-pointers, and it was almost a determining factor in our first matchup. The second time through league play it was a scouting report point of emphasis to closeout with care so as to give him nothing to sell a flop with.

At the pro level, the way in which some of these guys regularly go out of the way to initiate and sell contact on non-contact plays deserves to be aggressively whistled as an offensive foul so as to weed it out of the game. It's ridiculous.
 
This will continue to trickle down because of poor technique on closing out. First of all, this has become a problem because of players trying to block jump shots - a cardinal error if you remember anything about how you play proper defense. Hand up, contest, then box out.
Because guys want to block shots, they shorten their close out. And the official has to protect the shooters ability to come down. Now the kick out is another matter, but I've always contended that if there is ANY contact, you are TOO close. Hand up, feet on the floor, don't move into the shooter and you have nothing to worry about as a defender.

Unfortunately, the NBA allows too much leeway for it's officials in determining calls. Which I will say is the most difficult sport to officiate. There are so many judgement calls and there is pressure from the league to let the players play.
 
Seems James Harden is taking alot of heat over the last few days. It's been building up for a while but getting in the playoff spotlight has made it that much worse.

Kind of wish the officials would start calling "kicking" fouls when shooters kick out their legs to initiate contact before flopping.
 
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