Clippers forward Blake Griffin is no small guy, weighing 251 pounds and standing six-foot-ten. He’s always been a dominant force in the paint since he came into the league.
But why does he sometimes play like he’s half that size?
It’s no secret that Griffin, who has been called “soft” by opposing players in the past, due to his flopping. And it’s understandable, as it’s not something you see from someone his size (aside from Vlade Divac, who was the king of flopping).
While he hasn’t been flopping and complaining about calls as he used to, Griffin still has his moments, and Thursday night’s game against the Mavericks was a classic example.
Griffin committed one of his classic flops in the third quarter of the game, and it resulted in J.J. Barea getting ejected. It’s important to note that Barea is barely six-feet-tall, and weighs only 185 pounds, so Griffin clearly has a notable size advantage.
It happened when Griffin gave Barea a quick forearm, which the Mavericks guard didn’t appreciate. The two then got tangled up, and Barea then threw Griffin to the ground, which Blake clearly embellished by falling backward.
Replay Review (Game Crew): player altercation in Q3 of #LACatDAL. Ruling: Flagrant 2 on Barea. RULE: https://t.co/qCNcTsBsqq pic.twitter.com/SY1DdKCneO
— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) March 24, 2017
Barea was hit with a flagrant-2 foul and ejected, which was absolutely ridiculous.
Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle sure didn’t seem to agree with the call.
Rick Carlisle says Blake Griffin had a "cat that ate the canary" smile after J.J. Barea's ejection, but it energized the Mavs. #DALvsLAC
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) March 24, 2017
Neither did teammate Wesley Matthews, who raised a great point about Barea’s size.
Wesley Matthews: "I've seen a lot of crazy stuff, but a 4-9 guy getting a flagrant 2? That's pretty ridiculous." #DALvsLAC
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) March 24, 2017
Barea himself summed it up best, though.
J.J. Barea says he has no beef with Blake Griffin: "I gave him a little push. He landed far over there." #DALvsLAC
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) March 24, 2017
For what it’s worth, the Mavericks got the last laugh, as they stripped Griffin of the ball on the Clippers’ last full offensive possession of the game, clinging to a one-point lead at the time, and emerged victorious.
But it’s time for Griffin to stop with the flopping, if he wants to get any love from the officials going forward. Otherwise it’s going to be a case of the boy who cried wolf.
About Matt Birch
Matt manages all editorial operations for The Sports Daily. His work has been featured on MSN, Fox Sports, Yardbarker, SB Nation and Bleacher Report. Matt has also written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He enjoys eating good food, shooting hoops and making original, compelling stories go viral.
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