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[Saba Sports News] The NBA wasn’t buying Jordan Poole’s dramatic flop.
On Sunday, the league announced that the Washington Wizards guard has been fined $2,000 for violating the NBA’s anti-flopping rules.
The incident occurred during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 122–103 loss to the New York Knicks.
After missing a shot, Poole got tied up with New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns while going for the rebound. Towns made light contact with Poole’s chest — prompting Poole to launch himself to the floor in exaggerated fashion. The officials assessed a personal foul on the play, and now the league has added a retroactive flopping fine to the mix.
Poole, who led Washington with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting (plus three rebounds and three assists), couldn’t avoid the extra scrutiny despite his solid performance.
Flopping fines have been part of the NBA’s rulebook since the 2012–13 season. While the penalty remains relatively small at $2,000, the league appears to be cracking down harder this year.
Earlier this season, one team received two flopping fines in the same game. And just last month, another player involved in Saturday’s matchup was also hit with a fine for a blatantly exaggerated fall.
The league even stirred some debate recently after fining an All-Star for what looked more like an accidental slip than a flop.
In Poole’s case, though, the NBA clearly felt the theatrics crossed the line.