SBN Reacts: Are dirty plays becoming a problem in the NBA?

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The series between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies has provided NBA fans with some high-level basketball. Unfortunately, a lot of the on-court product has been overshadowed by accusations made off the court.

The discourse on this series has centered around dirty plays. Coaches, players, and fanbases of both teams have accused each other of committing plays that go beyond regular basketball. However, despite the seemingly endless arguments about what is a dirty play and what isn’t, the most recent SBN Reacts survey says only 26% of fans think dirty plays are a bigger problem this season.

In this series, there have been several plays that have stirred up controversy for being “dirty”. The first occurred in Game 1 when Warriors power forward Draymond Green received a flagrant 2 for hard contact on Brandon Clarke. Clarke wasn’t hurt and Green was subsequently ejected from the game. During postgame, Memphis’ players made sure to mention that they “aren’t surprised” by Green’s actions.

The second controversial play occurred during Game 2. Early in the first quarter, Grizzlies’ forward Dillon Brooks hit Gary Payton II midair during a transition layup. The play resulted in a flagrant 2 for Brooks and a fractured elbow for Payton that is expected to keep him out for the rest of the postseason. After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr called it a dirty play, saying that Brooks “broke the code”.

Finally, there was a play between Jordan Poole and Ja Morant. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins implied that Poole grabbed at Morant’s knee and pushed him down. Morant added more fuel to the fire by tweeting out then deleting “broke the code” — taking a shot at Steve Kerr’s previous comments. Poole and the rest of the Warriors denied any bad intentions, but Jenkins’ comments and Morant’s tweet went viral, throwing both fanbases in all-out war.

It’s interesting to see that fans do not think dirty plays are becoming a problem. Playoff basketball is supposed to be physical. Teams are not always going to like each other which makes the games even more exciting to watch. In my opinion, basketball fans don’t want to see players get hurt, but they also don’t want to hear constant complaining about dirty plays.

What do you think? Have dirty plays become a bigger problem this season? Let us know down below.

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