Did Chris Paul Injure Himself While Flopping?
Okay, here's the news. Los Angeles Clippers point guard, or point god if you're one of the cool kids, Chris Paul is going to be out for a while due to a separated right shoulder that he suffered on January when his team played against the Dallas Mavericks.
The injury happened at around the 6-minute mark of the third quarter during the Clippers' offensive possession as Paul was trying to use a screen set by his teammate DeAndre Jordan. Mavericks guard Monta Ellis who was called for a foul was chasing Paul around the screen when the latter seemed to have gotten tripped and fell to the floor. The fall caused Paul to hit the floor with his right shoulder hitting first, grimacing in pain. After the game, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers stated the nature of the injury and that Paul will be missing 3 to 4 weeks as due to the previously detailed incident.
As a basketball fan who wants to see the best teams and players competing hard, I'm saddened that one of the best players in the game will be out for a significant amount of time. There's also the possibility that the injury could adversely affect Paul's game once he return.
However, there's also a part of me that's mockingly laughing about the injury. As I watched the incident over and over again, I noticed that there wasn't really significant contact from Ellis or anyone that could have caused Paul to fall.
After having watched Paul all these years, I have to say that he's got a pretty good flopping game going on. It's not just about exaggerated motions to draw a referee's attention to a foul. There have been many times wherein he acts like he was hit despite the absence of any contact to draw fouls. He is creative or annoying like that, depending on your perspective. And it seems this recent injury to Paul is a case of flopping gone wrong. If you don't believe, search for the footage of the incident and see for yourself.
