“We Don’t Teach Flopping Here. We Don’t Teach Embellishment. We Never Have" - Chris Finch Still Despises Flopping And Is Doing It His Part To Save The NBA's Product

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In a world where people can't seem to agree on anything, one thing I do think most basketball fans will agree on is how lame it can be when players "flop" or "embellish" contact in order to bait a ref into calling a foul. At even the slightest bit of contact you'll see a player act like he just got shot, and then be rewarded often times with free throws. Yes, players on your favorite team do it. I know there are some fanbases out there that try to deny that fact, but the fact of the matter is fans don't care if their guys flop if it helps their favorite team yet hate it when it works against the, The point is, you'll find it everywhere throughout the NBA.

The thing is, I don't really see it as a player or team problem. I get why some might, but to me that misses the mark. Flopping in the NBA is AN OFFICIATING PROBLEM. You know why players do it? Because they know it works. Because they know there's no consistency from night to night from the officiating crew, and they are easily baited. For example, you don't think SGA knows that if he embellishes even the slightest bit of contact, he'll get the call? Then on the other end, we'll see a player get similar contact only for there to be no whistle. THAT is why they embellish, because it works. If Adam Silver gave a shit about his product and the #1 problem in his league, maybe they'd do something about it, but oh well. 

As much as you may hate flopping, I promise you don't hate it as much as Wolves Head Coach Chris Finch. That man despises flopping and isn't quiet about it. You could say he's on a quest to bring ethical basketball back to the NBA, and I commend him for it

“We don’t teach flopping here. We don’t teach embellishment. We never have. It probably shows up in Anthony’s free throw rate at times that he doesn’t flop or embellish. But we just don’t teach it here and that’s not the way we play. Maybe we should. Hopefully the league cleans up this crap, because nobody wants to watch it. That’s what they said was the feedback from the fans, is they’re tired of watching the flopping. And we know that i’ts been rewarded at too high of a level, so just stop rewarding the flopping”

The man has a point. While I'm sure there are possessions where Ant may embellish and you certainly hear him scream "HEY" on every drive to try and bait the call, he is not someone who I would consider an avid "flopper" and I do think Finch is right about his FTs. Edwards is a player that goes strong to the rim with conviction, and often gets hosed by no calls. He did have a career high 35% FTA rate last year, but I put him in the camp of guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Scottie Barnes etc who attack the rim with force and try to go through guys and don't get the same whistle as players who flop or embellish. It's almost as if NBA refs look down on playing off two feet, which again, isn't great. 

This certainly isn't the first time Finch has raged about flopping, you may remember his stance after Game 1 of the Nuggets series this past spring

and then that time he lost his shit early in the first quarter against the Thunder (notice the Ant no call? That's what I was referencing)

so while some may see his antics as sour grapes, I see it as a guy fighting to save the product. I wouldn't say flopping impacts my viewing experience, but I can understand why it may for others. I roll my eyes when people complain about 3PT volume and things of that nature ruining basketball, but when it comes to flopping I can at least see the argument. It ruins the flow of the game, rewards guys who didn't actually get fouled and are trying to "cheat" their way to points, it can put a guy in foul trouble which impacts lineups etc. I get all that and I do think the NBA would be a better product if that aspect of the game was figured out. Sadly, I think we all know that's never going to happen, especially for the regular season. 

Every season (including this year) we hear about how the NBA is going to look into this and not fall for the bait, and then about a week into the season things are right back to how they've always been. 

You see clips every night of guys doing it and being rewarded for embellishing even the smallest bit of contact. 

At the very least, it's refreshing to hear head coaches like Finch publicly speak out against it like this. Usually coaches give PR answers or dance around it, so I respect Finch for being like "fuck that" and calling out the bullshit that we all know exists, and we all know who the biggest culprits are. My guess is Finch and the Wolves having to play them a bunch has him feeling a certain way, but that doesn't mean he's wrong. 

So I stand with Chris Finch. Bring ethical baskebtall back to the NBA in 2026-27. As fans, we deserve that.