“(Flopping is) not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there's contact (you) move a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies.”

It's award season in the NBA but commissioner David Stern is concerned his league may be veering too close to handing out Oscars.

During Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal opener between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, Stern was asked what he thought about comments made by Pacers coach Frank Vogel in regards to what Vogel considered the Heat's tendency to flop.

"(Vogel) didn't have a beef; he was just manipulating the refereeing or trying to," Stern said. "I would have fined him much more than our office did."

While Stern chastised Vogel for on Thursday calling the Heat "the biggest flopping team in the NBA," he did intimate that he sees merit in the sentiment.

"I think it's time to look at (flopping) in a more serious way," Stern said, "because it's only designed to fool the referee. It's not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there's contact (you) move a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies."

More at the link. So he acknowledges the issue - will he actually DO something about it?

K22 wrote:LINK

“(Flopping is) not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there's contact (you) move a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies.”

It's award season in the NBA but commissioner David Stern is concerned his league may be veering too close to handing out Oscars.

During Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal opener between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers, Stern was asked what he thought about comments made by Pacers coach Frank Vogel in regards to what Vogel considered the Heat's tendency to flop.

"(Vogel) didn't have a beef; he was just manipulating the refereeing or trying to," Stern said. "I would have fined him much more than our office did."

While Stern chastised Vogel for on Thursday calling the Heat "the biggest flopping team in the NBA," he did intimate that he sees merit in the sentiment.

"I think it's time to look at (flopping) in a more serious way," Stern said, "because it's only designed to fool the referee. It's not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there's contact (you) move a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies."

More at the link. So he acknowledges the issue - will he actually DO something about it?

mrKnickShot wrote:JVG made him address it by constantly embarrassing him

I guess its a good sign that he is talking about it, but still not even the slightest sign of doing something, especially with the playoffs underway.

At that moment the defense puts itself at a disadvantage..

Ref then "cards" a player when action stops and:

either that player has to sit out 2 minutes, or is issued a warning. If another issued the player is then ejected for two minutes.

Bonn1997 wrote:

Nalod wrote:
Flopping should not stop action. It needs to be a non call.

At that moment the defense puts itself at a disadvantage..

Ref then "cards" a player when action stops and:

either that player has to sit out 2 minutes, or is issued a warning. If another issued the player is then ejected for two minutes.

It's often too hard to tell whether it was a flop or legitimate even in replays let alone at the moment it occurred

Had JVG offered a way to police it?

Its one thing to say it sucks, but another to offer a practical solution.

Moonangie wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

Nalod wrote:
Flopping should not stop action. It needs to be a non call.

At that moment the defense puts itself at a disadvantage..

Ref then "cards" a player when action stops and:

either that player has to sit out 2 minutes, or is issued a warning. If another issued the player is then ejected for two minutes.

It's often too hard to tell whether it was a flop or legitimate even in replays let alone at the moment it occurred

This is a good point. It would be very difficult for the on court refs to make the call when it happens. More likely it should be an afterwards review thing where if you are an excessive flopper, you end up missing games, sort of like the 17 Ts thing, but with a penalty well before 17.

Flopping harms the game because it can be used (as it so often is by the Heat) to control momentum.

I think JVG offered something like assessing technicals upon review after game.

"There's a difference (between taking a charge and flopping). We all know what flopping is when we see it," Bryant said. "The stuff that you see is where guys aren't really getting hit at all and are just flailing around like a fish out of water. That's kind of like, where are your balls at?"

He should have ended that with: where are your balls at Bosh, LeBron, Blake?