Daily Knicks
Fansided

NY Knicks: The Reverse NBA Awards

By Avishai Sol

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 08: JaKarr Sampson #14 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 8, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 08: JaKarr Sampson #14 of the Indiana Pacers is seen during the game against the Detroit Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 8, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 9
Next
NBA Awards
Luka Doncic. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

NBA Awards: The Marcus Smart Flopper of the Year Award

  1. Luka Doncic
  2. Joel Embiid
  3. Chris Paul

The award is pretty self-explanatory. It goes to the worst and most frequent flopper of the year. Chris Paul’s antics are nothing new. He’s so smart and savvy that his relationship with tricking referees has become something of an art. It’s a way of life.  He flops a ton, but I don’t mind it as much because he’s barely bigger than I am. If you’re 6’0, 175 in the NBA, you have my permission to pull whatever tricks you want.

The same can’t be said for Joel Embiid. He doesn’t flop as often as Paul or Doncic, but when the biggest guy on the floor is taking dives it’s a little harder to smile through. Embiid will level the entire team to get to the basket on one end, and then on the other get bumped and fly back like he was made of tissue paper. You shouldn’t need to pull these stupid tricks when you’re the biggest, baddest guy in the league. There’s a HUGE difference between the flopping from Derrick Rose and the flopping from Randle. I know Randle is our guy and we’re cheering for him and everything, but someone 6’8 and 250 pounds just looks sillier taking the dives we see from guards.

Doncic, though, walks the line between big and strong and pulling out the flops with the frequency of a 6-footer. The head fakes, the complaining, the palms up moaning he does after every single play, miss or no miss. Doncic is an exceptional player. He’s the NBA’s golden boy right now, and he’s set to be one of the faces of basketball for the next decade. I’m happy about it, but pee-yew that flopping is bad.

I love his antics when I’m cheering for him on some random mid-season game, but when he pulls it on the Knicks we all blow a fuse.