NBA’s new flopping fines all right by Bulls
By JOE COWLEY jcowley@suntimes.com October 3, 2012 9:32PM
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Updated: November 5, 2012 11:45AM
James Harden, Derek Fisher, Anderson Varejao, Blake Griffin, Manu Ginobili — you have all been put on notice.
The NBA announced Wednesday that it has adopted an anti-flopping policy in which any player who flops during a regular-season game will be subject to a series of penalties, beginning with a warning for first-time violators. After that, a player faces a $5,000 fine for a second violation, $10,000 for a third and $15,000 for a fourth before the fine jumps to $30,000 for a fifth time. The NBA also will consider suspensions, as well as coming down harder in the postseason, but the specifics have yet to be announced.
‘‘It’s certain people’s game nowadays,’’ Bulls guard Rip Hamilton said. ‘‘It’s their actual game, flopping. Anytime you play, with the rules and things like that, guys are going to figure out ways to adjust and to do stuff that you’re not supposed to do, and then they’re going to come back with another rule, so I really don’t get into that.’’
Center Joakim Noah was all for it and wondered why it took so long.
‘‘Flopping is annoying,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a good rule. I just hope . . . it’s going to be hard to enforce, because it’s pretty opinionated.’’
Growing pains
First-round draft pick Marquis Teague is coming off a rough Summer League showing and will be hard-pressed to see many minutes this season. But coach Tom Thibodeau is taking baby steps with the point guard.
‘‘He’s a lot better now than he was in the summer,’’ Thibodeau said. ‘‘He’s 19 years old, he’s learning the league, learning a new system, learning his teammates. I just want him to concentrate on improving every day, learn how to be a pro, and we’ll see where we go from there.’’
