Dirk Nowitzki says new flopping policy is 'a bunch of crap'

Dirk doesn't like the new flopping rules. (Getty Images)

Dirk Nowitzki is calling foul on the NBA's new anti-flopping policy.

The league has installed a tiered multiple-offender system to try to combat more and more players simulating contact for a call. The first offense is a warning, but after that it's cash fines -- with the sixth offense possibly resulting in a suspension.

Dirk though, isn't a fan, going as far as to call it "crap." Via the Dallas Morning News:

“I never looked at myself as a big flopper,'' Nowitzki said Thursday after the Mavericks arrived in Germany for their preseason opener on Saturday. “If you play me physical then, obviously, I got to sell the call and get to the (free-throw) line. That's just part of the game. We'll have to see how they enforce that.

“I think it's a bunch of crap to be honest with you. Are they going to come back after a game and fine you for flopping? That's tough to do to me.''

Dirk isn't alone in his feeling of the league's crackdown on flopping. Blake Griffin said, "It's a good way for the NBA to get more money" while Manu Ginobili, a well-known flopper, said it was going to be hard to differentiate between exaggerating contact and flopping.

Honestly, I find it fairly hypocritical for well-known floppers to criticize the new rules, mainly because they've been installed as a result of their antics. Dirk isn't included in that, as he doesn't have a history of flopping, but for players to complain is weak. You know how you don't get hit with the fine? Don't flop. Don't fake contact, don't take a bump and sprawl out on the floor. Play the game straight up; play it with some integrity instead of trying to trick the officials.

The penalties for flopping are fairly minor considering how much NBA players make. And you can be sure the league isn't going to be very cautious in handing out these fines. The fact they're warning players first will set a bar on what's crossing the line.

Dirk asks, "Are they going to come back after a game and fine you for flopping?" Actually yes, Dirk. That's exactly what they'll do. They'll review the game on tape and determine whether or not the flop was egregious enough to warrant a fine.

Again, the league is likely going to be very judicious with the flopping penalties. It'll probably be a "know it when you see it" kind of thing. We all know what a ridiculous flop looks like. And players know when they're doing it.

If soccer can penalize players with yellow cards for simulating contact and trying to trick an official, shouldn't the NBA do the same? The fact players are hesitant to do it should just reinforce that it's probably a pretty good idea.