Jalen Brunson’s egregious flopping is NBA Playoffs’ most annoying subplot

Jalen Brunson isn’t one of many largest, quickest, or most explosive guards within the NBA, however he’s turn out to be among the finest as a result of nobody is craftier. Brunson has confronted skeptics as he’s climbed the basketball world, going from an underrated recruit to a school basketball legend at Villanova to a second spherical draft decide who the Dallas Mavericks didn’t need long-term. He’s morphed into a real NBA celebrity on the New York Knicks even with the identical limitations conventional scouts have at all times seen in him.

Ausar Thompson is sort of the polar reverse of Brunson. He’s an elite quick-twitch athlete with nice positional dimension who continues to be studying methods to sharpen his talent set and apply his instruments. Thompson is drawing the Brunson task because the Detroit Pistons tackle the Knicks within the first spherical of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and thru two video games Brunson is already throwing the kitchen sink at him to achieve any benefit he can.

In follow, which means Brunson is baiting Thompson into fouls and doing every thing he can to promote them to the refs. It’s led to widespread complaints that Brunson is a flopper, which is in fact nothing new to individuals who have watched his total profession.

The Pistons beat the Knicks, 100-94, in Sport 2 on Monday night time to even the collection. Brunson had an enormous recreation for the Knicks (37 factors, seven assists), however a lot of the speak in the course of the contest was about his flopping. The Knicks star fouled out Thompson with simply over 5 minutes left in regulation, and instantly celebrated by holding up six fingers within the air.

This play is an instance of why it’s so exhausting to protect Brunson with out fouling. As quickly as Thompson reaches, Brunson flings his physique into him to get to the free throw line. By two video games, Brunson is making an attempt 10.5 free throws per recreation on this collection.

A few of Brunson’s foul-drawing earlier within the recreation was way more egregious. One of many tried-and-true guidelines of flopping is if you happen to fall down, the refs often name a foul. Thompson performed nice protection right here beating Brunson to the spot on the ground he was making an attempt to get to, however when Brunson fell the refs blew the whistle on Thompson.

Thompson is hounding Brunson within the backcourt on this possession when the Knicks star hooks his arm. The refs noticed the 2 gamers snarled and referred to as a foul on Thompson.

Right here’s a better take a look at the play.

Basketball is a contact sport, and Brunson actually is aware of methods to promote that contact. He’s getting whiplash from even minor contact, throwing his head again, falling to the bottom, and forcing the refs to do one thing about it. So long as it retains getting rewarded, Brunson goes to maintain doing it.

At a sure level, Brunson is barely harming his personal popularity. There was a lot discuss his flopping following the Pistons’ win.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau defended Brunson after the sport, and identified that the Pistons loved a 34-19 free throw makes an attempt benefit over New York in Sport 2. Thibs pleaded with the refs for consistency, but it surely’s exhausting to implement when his star participant is exaggerating contact at each alternative.

Knicks-Pistons is bodily Jap Convention basketball at his greatest. Nobody stated it was going to be fairly.