Dirk turning heads with flops - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

MavsFanFinley · 12-11-2004, 11:12 PM

Dirk turning heads with flops, too
Rockets coach notes Nowitzki's penchant, says issue plagues NBA

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

HOUSTON – Dirk Nowitzki has never been confused with Vlade Divac, until now.

But Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy believes the Mavericks' power forward has been learning from the NBA's most notorious flopper.

"He knows how to draw fouls, he's good at it," Van Gundy said Saturday night. "He drives in there and he lets referees know when there's been contact. If there's any doubt, he makes it decisive."

It should be noted that Van Gundy believes this is a league-wide problem, not simply restricted to Nowitzki, who went to the free throw line 22 times Dec. 2 – when he had 53 points against the Rockets.

What's interesting is that the Mavericks, like every other team, can't deny that Nowitzki and all their players use the flop to their advantage.

"You have to sell the call these days," coach Don Nelson said. "It makes it really hard for the refs. I wish they'd never call any of them."

Van Gundy respects the art form that is flopping. He believes it is Nowitzki's combination of jump shooting and pump-fakes that makes him particularly adept at drawing the referee's whistle.

But he says it is not a whine about preferential treatment.

"The guy went to the line 22 times," Van Gundy said of the first meeting. "We fouled him needlessly twice 94 feet from the basket. Shame on us for that. Take away six flopping free throws, then we stopped him for 47. So our problems run much deeper.

"I was talking more in general throughout the league. I think it makes officiating impossible. And I think the game suffers for it.

"If guys go flying into the stands when it looks like he's been hit in the back on a rebound, and then you look at the tape and see minimal contact, they should start fining guys. League-wide, it's a disgrace how acting has become such an integral part of getting a call. We've benefited from it too. You go in and scream, "Aaahh" and you get a foul."

As for Nowitzki, he took talk about flopping in stride, just grinning when hearing about Van Gundy's assertions.

DubOverdose · 12-11-2004, 11:20 PM

Quit yer bitchin! Rockets suck, and it ain't Dirk's fault!

mavs413 · 12-11-2004, 11:34 PM

Quote:

As for Nowitzki, he took talk about flopping in stride, just grinning when hearing about Van Gundy's assertions.

Keep "flopping" Dirk.
Sounds like Van Gundy is just drinking too much Haterade because our Mavs can score and his Rockets offense cant.
Any coach who doesnt teach his players how to sell a foul is a fool.

dude1394 · 12-11-2004, 11:39 PM

Yea dirk is never touched... Houston, even when stevie franchise leaves the team still has no class.

twelli · 12-11-2004, 11:56 PM

I thought he is always fouled and never gets respect from the refs

now he gets the calls and is called flopper... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img]

dirno2000 · 12-12-2004, 12:48 AM

the coach is conceeding that his team has problems.

Quote:

Take away six flopping free throws, then we stopped him for 47. So our problems run much deeper.

Dirk does get a lot of calls, but he's a star and stars get calls. Notice that Cuban seems to have dropped his crusade against the NBA's star system.

...and for a man his size, he does seem to end up on the ground quite a bit. That's not to knock Dirk, he should do whatever he can to get to the line.

sike · 12-12-2004, 01:38 AM

whatever gets him to the line....

bloodyhell · 12-12-2004, 03:07 AM

Dirk's fouled on his elbow quite often. They can call it whatever they want. It's called, dirk is a bad ass mother f...r and that's why he's so good. The flop comment is a cop out. Vlade is no where near dirk's potential. Never was. van gundy can suck it and so can sefko for printing such crap.

Epitome22 · 12-12-2004, 07:28 AM

Seemed a perfectly legitimate assessment to me. He wasn't singling Dirk out, he made an honest assessment.

And when did this forum turn into Mavstalk all of a sudden?

Murphy3 · 12-12-2004, 10:01 AM

When I think of a Vlade type flop, I think of a guy that's usually not getting fouled trying to trick an official into believing he's fouled. When I think of a Dirk 'flop', I think of a guy getting hit consistently on his shots letting it be known that he was indeed hit. I don't see Dirk 'flopping' to get a call that wasn't otherwise deserving.

V2M · 12-12-2004, 10:44 AM

Comparing Dirk to Vlade on flopping got to be the joke of the year. In fact, comparing anyone to Vlade on flopping gotta' be a joke.

Dirk gets hit on the elbow on almost every play. True this year he's getting more in his favor than previous years 'coz the NBA decided to up the scoring by calling more.... and the fact that Dirk's handling the ball more and he's driving more of 'em to the rack.

jibikao · 12-12-2004, 03:13 PM

I thought it's quite rude to make a comment like that.

Almost anyone "fakes" some fouls especially the inside rebounders. They "yell" a lot to try to gain empathy. If JVG can't teach his players to "fake" sometimes, then it's HIS problems, not the league.

Dirk got more fouls 'cause he goes inside a lot more this year and he is a "Star" so of course he gets some star treatment.

If he wants to complain, why didn't he complain when MJ and Kobe got soooooooo many star fouls? Rocket lost big time to Mavs and that's why he wants to find some scapegoats. He is ruining his team. Anybody knows stars get star calls.

I bet if Rox was shooting well and won the game, he won't even start this BS.

Jimmy

FilthyFinMavs · 12-12-2004, 03:43 PM

I hate players who flop but with Dirk I see it as getting the refs attention. When Dirk flops he's more than likely getting fouled while Divac would flop with no one around him. I do think Dirk does exaggerate on alot of the calls he gets but definately not on the offensive end. More like when he's getting a defensive rebound and he just flops but that isn't factoring into him being one of the best at getting to the line this season.

EricaLubarsky · 12-12-2004, 06:37 PM

JVG is really on the wire. REALLY.

seelenjaeger · 12-12-2004, 06:49 PM

I see his point.

But the problem is different - it´s the refs. If they call a foul on the CONTACT and not on the outcome of the effect on the player - which they don´t - people wouldn´t be forced to make fouls OBVIOUS - which they do.

Still, there´s a difference between "flopping" and "giving a clear opinion about what you think that has happened to you". I don´t think Dirk simulates to be fouled.

GP · 12-12-2004, 10:06 PM

Dirk gets hammered repeatedly. I don't see flops. Besides, flopping happens when you are the defensive player and the offensive player makes contact and you go crashing to the ground trying to draw a charge. JVG is just being asinine. He wants his players to be able to rip Dirks arms from his body and then use them as clubs against him. Don't call fouls on a JVG team and people would wind up in the hospital. People with his history cannot complain about stuff like this.