Draper: Marcus Smart’s constant flopping cheapens the game

When asked about his epic flop in Game 4, Marcus Smart said he was just trying to make a “winning play." That drew an eye roll and a laugh from many . . . but is he wrong?

Think about the scenario. If the referee bought what Smart was selling and the whistle was blown, Kyle Korver would’ve fouled out of the game. That would've helped the Celtics, since Korver was in the process of tearing them apart with 17 total points, and nine points in the fourth quarter alone.

So can you really blame Smart? He made a calculated decision to try and remove Korver from the game. But it didn’t work. It was a play he probably shouldn’t make in the future, especially since this flop was so egregious. But the next time it works, no one should be talking about how it was a smart play if they think this one was boneheaded.

That's precisely how A. Sherrod Blakely feels about Smart's flop.

“You have to make winning play. You have to sell calls," said Blakely. "That was a Vine Hall of Fame acting job on his part because it was so horrible, but I like the mentality. The mentality is he’s trying to do what he can to help his team win games."

Blakely’s right that Smart’s intent was pure, but you might feel like Kyle Draper does and simply think regardless of the call, the flop itself doesn’t belong in the NBA.

“For me it just cheapens the game a little bit,” Draper said. “It was a well-played game, both teams fought hard, and then you got acting going on out there on the floor. Let’s stick to basketball. If you did that on the playground back in the day they wouldn’t invite you back.”