Free throws are the king of the NBA today, and players like Jalen Brunson do anything to get them.
With a league full of “Floppers,” Bill Simmons believes the Knicks star is in his own league.
“I think [Brunson’s] Become an outstanding NBA flopper.” Simmons said on his podcast of the same name..
And it's not just his attempts to shoot that he's baiting for a foul.
“He's doing it on both ends, he's doing it in defense and attack,” Simmons added. “He's floping the pick, he's floping as he comes out of the screen. He's floping when someone hits him on a drive.
Simmons called Branson a “complete package” when it came to floping, and called him “we were in awe” after seeing him play recently.
Flopping is often said to have been started by James Harden during the Houston Rockets era, but Simmons considers Harden's reign because the best floppers are behind him.
Trae Young has since become a clone of Harden in the sense of foul bait, but Simmons said “some of the rules changes are in his head.”
Leave a floping crown for Branson.
“Branson's top game… I think he's a complete package,” Simmons said. “Some of the best flops I've ever seen.”
The free throws don't fully tell the story of how much the player is floping, but the numbers don't fully back up Simmons' thoughts.
Branson is currently in 8th place. NBA attempted free throws in each game At 6.8. Harden and Young both rank ahead of Branson, but not so much, Young will Harden at age 7 on 7.3 attempts.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the league with free throws per game with 10.4 and 8.9 respectively.
Simmons' comments come ironically after Branson failed to attempt one free throw on Sunday to the Celtics' Knicks' blowout loss.
