Pump, Launch, and Flop

[benhillboy]

I hate this move so much, I had to make a post. Paul Pierce is notorious, Dwayne Wade comes in second, Brandon Roy is doing it way more than I'd like to see from a player of his caliber. Glady, Kobe stopped for the most part after he dislocated his shoulder some years back pulling that stunt. Chauncey is known to do it when his teams' in trouble and he's feeling lazy. The classic bail-out move, most times only a moron would call a shooting foul when the shooter initiates contact while throwing up a prayer that, again, only a moron would call an attempt. True, defenders are taught not to leave their feet in certain situations, especially late in the clock after you've played great D, but c'mon. The punishment against the defender coupled with the reward for the shooter is getting extremely ridiculous. I would love a no-call, but it should be an offensive foul if you wanna get technical: the defender was in the air first, and defenseless. It is no different than an off-arm push-off. I want to spit at my TV screen everytime Pierce does it. He basically gets rewarded for having average handle and picking up his dribble prematurely. It's so unathletic, so cheap, dangerous, such a loophole in the rules that should be officiated much more subjectively because it's just bad basketball, plain and simple. A pump fake is for opening up lanes and space to shoot or pass, not to get a free trip to the line on technicalities because the NBA has gotten so soft on foul calls. Then the foolish ref has to come down on the other end and make a make-up call because he's feeling the pressure from the fans and the bench. We've all seen the stupid cycle.

At the end of the day, I guess you know the rules and govern yourself accordingly as a defender, and fouling a jump-shooter is one of the worst things you can do. Points aren't easy to come by, and I admire guys who get to the line frequently, ON TRUE FOULS! The competitoion committee should really do away with this pathetic bail-out tactic, or at least call it half as much as they do. Of all the highlights of last night's game, the free throw disparity in the third quarter, and the way we overcame it, was the most glaring thing. It was a crime that the refs should be prosecuted for.

Real scorers pump to get a better look at the basket or open teammate. Fake ones go to the line when they know damn well they don't deserve a single point. This isn't wrestling. I'm glad our two perimeter scorers play with honor and real skill when their dribble is stopped and they're on that island with a good defender. Time your second jump properly. Pump and duck under the defender. Study film and scouting on their close-quarters defensive tactics and tendencies. Be creative with your pivot to create space and leverage. Fade away. There are many more safer, more efficient, more respectable ways to score, that is if you're a real scorer and don't depend on garbage that WNBA players don't even use.

I respect Paul Pierce's production, always have. But I'd rather watch obese porn than watch him flop around the court, campaign for calls, and cry in wheelchairs. As much as I love Jesus' jumper, K.G.'s intensity, and Kendrick's blocking/ rebounding, I can't bear to watch the Celtics unless they're getting smashed by us because of the eyesore that is Paul Pierce.

Edited January 30, 2010 by benhillboy

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Which is why you should appreciate the game of Joe Johnson all the more, because he NEVER does that ( even though he probably should on occasion ). JJ would rather take and make a difficult shot, or pass to an open teammate, than get a "cheap" trip to the line when he knows that he doesn't have a good shot to take.

[benhillboy]

Which is why you should appreciate the game of Joe Johnson all the more, because he NEVER does that ( even though he probably should on occasion ). JJ would rather take and make a difficult shot, or pass to an open teammate, than get a "cheap" trip to the line when he knows that he doesn't have a good shot to take.

I gave Joe and Jamal credit for it. You don't quit do you North? All in fun, homey.

Edited January 30, 2010 by benhillboy

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I gave Joe and Jamal credit for it. You don't quit do you North? All in fun, homey.

Like you said, it's all in fun.

I'm just making sure that you, and the other people who like to routinely take shots at JJ, understand what that dude's game is about. Glad to see that you're coming around to him.

[Gray Mule]

What we observed last night was a craftsman practicing his trade. Paul Pierce has this down letter perfect.

Observe. Hawks were over the limit, which means Celtics would be shooting free throws on all fouls for the

remainder of the quarter.

Give the ball to the master, Paul Pierce. He will now give the Hawks their choice.

1- Let PP score.

2- foul PP and let him score from the free throw stripe.

3- Try to stop PP and get that "And one!" call on the play

PP has an excellent shot. PP is deadly from the line. PP has this down to a science.

You either foul him or let him go. The easiest thing to do is let him go and hope he misses.

Which he won't. Foul him and hope he misses the free throws. He won't and you get another

foul on your way to six.

If he should get a shot off and miss, don't be near him. You'll get tears all over your body as he

cries to the ref's at the injustice of it all.

Paul Pierce is a pretty good player. No doubt about it.

Paul Pierce is an even better as an actor than he is as a player.

Paul Pierce is one big Cry Baby.

Watching this Master Craftman as he wove his Magic last night and brought the Celtics back,

then seeing the Hawks overcome all this and gain the victory is enough to warm the heart

of any true Hawk fan!!

:line dance:

[jhay610]

I don't mind the move if you get the defender to jump towards you and come down in your space, free throws are justified there. But yeah, the thing where hey jump into the defender who jumped straight up and flail there arms while throwing the ball in the general direction of the basket is ridiculous.

It's not supposed to be a foul. In the rule book the defender is allowed to jump straight up as long as he maintains vertical (not reaching forward with his arms). It's never called like that, though.

[AHF]

I don't mind the move if you get the defender to jump towards you and come down in your space, free throws are justified there. But yeah, the thing where hey jump into the defender who jumped straight up and flail there arms while throwing the ball in the general direction of the basket is ridiculous.

It's not supposed to be a foul. In the rule book the defender is allowed to jump straight up as long as he maintains vertical (not reaching forward with his arms). It's never called like that, though.

Agreed, 100%. This is a tweak the NBA should make in the way games are officiated to either punish or at least stop rewarding contact that is initiated by the offensive player.

Edited February 1, 2010 by AHF

[dakast]

Why did I think this post was about a new dance? :question:

[ATLSmith]

Bibby does this in close games if his defender is constantly harassing him. Crawford does it to some extent but he makes it less obvious. You don’t' see Crawford blatantly falling forward into his defender when they are in the air.

I remember watching Chauncey Billups pull a move where he sprinted over half court with Smoove in hot pursuit. Chauncey suddenly stopped and Smith careened into him. Smith was called for the foul. It pissed me off at the time but if Bibby pulled that move I'd probably cheer :)

[Atlantaholic]

Heh... This has been around for as long as I can remember. Doubt they will tweak the rules after allowing guys like Reggie Miller, and Paul Pierce make a living out of it.

[dlpin]

Is that better or worse than the "launch a 3 pointer, kick leg out, flop?" Jamal Crawford is about to become the all time leader in 4 point plays because of that.

[jhay610]

Bibby does this in close games if his defender is constantly harassing him. Crawford does it to some extent but he makes it less obvious. You don’t' see Crawford blatantly falling forward into his defender when they are in the air.

I remember watching Chauncey Billups pull a move where he sprinted over half court with Smoove in hot pursuit. Chauncey suddenly stopped and Smith careened into him. Smith was called for the foul. It pissed me off at the time but if Bibby pulled that move I'd probably cheer :)

That's just a good veteran play. There is nothing in the rules that says he has to keep going if someone is chasing.

[AHF]

That's just a good veteran play. There is nothing in the rules that says he has to keep going if someone is chasing.

And for purposes of this thread, he is not the one initiating the contact there so that is MUCH more defensible to me than the pump and jump into the guy play.