Harden takes flopping to a new level while mating with MCW

[BallerTalk]

Am I loosing my mind or are all of you nutsjobs going off a about a OVER THE BACK foul and calling it a flop?

How in the hell anyone can even come close to the idea that the play was a flop is beyond me. Clearly a over the back, or a undercut by MCW, either way you see it, NOT a flop.

But... A whole bunch of people in the thread are screaming its a blatant horrible flop and totally trashing Harden about flopping on a play that isn't a flop. Lol

It has actually been pointed out a couple of times by myself and others, but you know how mobs tend to go. Facts be damned.

The way I see it, Harden haters having been having a tough season so far. The Rockets have performed exceedingly well and Harden is at the top of most peoples MVP lists so his detractors have had no occasion to throw stones without looking like an obvious hater.

Apparently they see this bad call/non-call/missed call as an opportunity to vent, rationalize, and justify their feelings. That's why you see so many comments about his MVP status which has zero to do with the play being discussed.

Plus, we all know that if it were titled more appropriately as a possible "bad call/non-call/missed call" it would not generate nearly the same 10 page clamor that mislabeling it as a "flop" has.

[GimmeDat]

But it's not as simple as an over the back. If someones going for a rebound and they happen to jump over the back of someone, that's a basketball play. When MCW's just holding his ground in the middle of the play, there is no logical reason for Harden to go over MCW's back. He consciously mounted him. It wasn't a natural basketball action.

MCW wasn't just standing his ground, he backed into Harden and then squatted into Hardens legs. I honestly think that pissed Harden off and that's why he fell on him, or possibly he felt the pressure of MCW lowering his ass into his left knee and his natural reaction was to jump in fear of his knee buckling and then he fell on him. He was pissed afterwards which inclines me to believe it was one of those. It's normal for players to get pisses and foul other players, it's normal to protect his knee.

To me looked like over the back, I do agree the fall could have been dangerous for MCWs back and that sucks, but even if it was called a foul on Harden I doubt it would have been fragrant because of the way MCW backed and lowered him into Harden. It's not like Harden had a running start up to a straight standing MCW and jumped on his back.

You're trying to rationalize something that can't be rationalized. To say MCW was backing in to Harden or anything else you described is not true and absurd excuse making. The way MCW was holding his ground is the same way you see playings do battling for position a million times a game, and in not one instance would you see an outcome like this. There's a reason the only time this has ever happened is with Harden, and it's been multiple times.

He didn't need a running start, MCW was there, Harden lay on top. Whether MCW was hurt or not is irrelevant, it was a stupid move and something that isn't defensible as a basketball play.

Harden is an awesome player, but only brings himself down by these antics. Though this doesn't count as a 'flop', as the title suggests, it falls in to the same vein of making a non-basketball move to illicit a call.

[ThatBoyNick]

I don't know what you are looking at. I am trying to watch it again and again to understand your point of view, but at no point does MCW move backwards while Harden's feet are still on the ground. The backpedaling starts when Harden jumps on his back and MCW loses his balance.
and @ "fragrant" foul

lmao sorry the auto fill in on my phone is killing me.

He backs into Harden first, plants his feet yes, but squats and lowers his hips into Hardens legs at the same time while holding his feet planted. Just what I see and my take. Still think it's a over the back, think Harden was frustrated and fell on top on purpose because he was pissed. Although possible MCW put too much pressure on Hardens left knee.

Watch MCW's hips on the replay. @GimmeDat

[SexDrugsPnR]

I don't know what you are looking at. I am trying to watch it again and again to understand your point of view, but at no point does MCW move backwards while Harden's feet are still on the ground. The backpedaling starts when Harden jumps on his back and MCW loses his balance.
and @ "fragrant" foul

lmao sorry the auto fill in on my phone is killing me.

He backs into Harden first, plants his feet yes, but squats and lowers his hips into Hardens legs at the same time while holding his feet planted. Just what I see and my take. Still think it's a over the back, think Harden was frustrated and fell on top on purpose because he was pissed. Although possible MCW put too much pressure on Hardens left knee.

Watch MCW's hips on the replay. @GimmeDat

what you are describing happens dozens of times during a game when players are boxing out under the basket. i don't see anything wrong with that, even if you do it further away from the basket. you will also see the same move when smaller players get switched on to bigs in the post and try to front them.

[Blitzbolt]

The Rockets commentators are by far the worst in the NBA no one is really close.

[Vator]

Wait, Rockets fans have actually been defending this play?

Whether it falls in to the definition of a flop or not, it's a ridiculous play done to try and exploit the rules of the game, and it's crazy the refs penalized MCW for Hardens antics here, especially given the context of the game (late, close game, MCW fouls out while having a great game, etc).

This is not a basketball play.

I and a few other people in here are actually not defending the call at all. I pretty much said the onus should be on the ref here for making a bad call. Also calling this a flop is also wrong, but it's a hot button word people like to throw around with Harden, Lebron, and CP3 so here we are. 11 pages and counting.

[mixerball]

Wait, Rockets fans have actually been defending this play?

Whether it falls in to the definition of a flop or not, it's a ridiculous play done to try and exploit the rules of the game, and it's crazy the refs penalized MCW for Hardens antics here, especially given the context of the game (late, close game, MCW fouls out while having a great game, etc).

This is not a basketball play.

I don't think anybody is arguing that the over the back foul wasn't a foul.

It's not really a ridiculous play, its a over the back foul that was miscalled by the refs. From my view it looks like Harden was annoyed at how hard MCW was backing into him so he decided to jump up and let him self get undercutted which led to him letting him self fall on MCW's back (the over the back foul).

The whole ridiculous call, disgusting flop, not a basketball play, shame on Harden narrative is being beyond exaggerated. It's just a miscalled over the back foul. Nothing more, nothing less. But because this is Harden it's a topic, is a NBA destroying flop somehow.

read harder, yes they are.