Jeff Pendergraph of the Pacers has become the first player to be fined for a flop in the playoffs, thanks to his falling down while defending Josh Smith during Game 5 of Indiana’s first round series against the Hawks.
There are no more warnings for flopping in the postseason, remember, and any offense is immediately issued a fine of $5,000, which will escalate with each subsequent infraction.
While this is clearly a flop, these aren’t the plays that need to be punished.
The referees weren’t fooled into whistling Smith for a foul on the play, and Smith scored easily once Pendergraph took himself out.
What the league needs to focus on are plays where a flop influences the official into making an incorrect foul call, or ones that are at a level so ridiculous that they become an embarrassment to the sport.
