Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for the tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.
Flopping in the NBA has long been the bane of many a fan’s existence, and the league is taking an extra measure this offseason to curb how often it occurs.
One of two rule changes approved for the upcoming season, players whistled for flopping will now be assessed a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul that results in a free throw for the opposing team, the league announced Tuesday.
This will obviously make players think twice before doing their best Denzel Washington on the court, though I didn’t view flopping as a particularly troubling issue for the NBA last season and thought the standard system of fining players was more than enough to disincentivize it from happening. Apparently the numbers didn’t bare that out because the NBA Board of Governors saw fit to move forward with an in-game measure, but this could backfire considering how subjective flops are in real time.
On the bright side, it’s just a one-year trial, and the league can always reverse course if it doesn’t work out.
Now, the other rule change, I’m 100 percent behind. The board also voted to expand the replay system to give coaches a second challenge if their first one is successful, as I think this can have a positive impact right away.
Adding a second challenge should make coaches less hesitant to challenge obvious calls early in games for fear of not having a challenge down the stretch. As a result, we should get cleaner games, which is especially important in the age of high definition broadcasting where everyone watching can see when a call is wrong — and bets can be impacted.
The potential downside of this rule is slower games, but it’ll be worth it to have games go the way they’re supposed to.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
It hasn’t been an easy summer for Zion Williamson professionally. Heck, it’s been a rough year — since he was injured early in 2023 and couldn’t return as his New Orleans Pelicans failed to qualify for the playoffs.
Since then, he’s been at the center of reports about everything from poor relationships with teammates to, um, interesting relationships away from basketball. He’s even been mentioned in trade rumors and recently addressed some of the questions regarding his fitness.
However, a recent report questioning his work ethic is where his teammate Larry Nance Jr. drew the line. Nance came to Williamson’s defense and it was refreshing to see, as FTW’s Mike Sykes wrote.
“It was refreshing to see a teammate come out and defend Williamson in this way — especially considering all of the criticism that has come about his relationship with the team.
Sure, Nance goes a little hard here in this response. But you can understand the frustration considering how Williamson has been talked about over the last few months.”
Check out the story to see what Nance had to say.
Shootaround
— 5 second-round picks who already look like draft steals in Summer League
— Here’s why Victor Wembanyama isn’t playing anymore in Summer League
— The NBA In-Season Tournament solves 1 problem by creating another
