HoopsHype.com Rumors

The NBA issued seven flopping violations in the first month of the 2012-13 season and seven in the second month. There were just three flopping violations in the third month of the season, and there have been zero flopping violations in February. "We feel that the new flopping rule is working well," NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson told USA TODAY Sports. USA Today Sports

Stu Jackson, Rules 

Jackson: Yes. Basketball is a simple game. Your goal is penetration, get the ball close to the basket, and there are three ways to do that. Pass, dribble and offensive rebound. The easiest one is -- or should be -- the pass. But the new rules allow you to throw more people at post-up players. NBA basketball is a big man's game, and in the past they protected that aspect of the game. Well, those rules went out the window and what they didn't do was consider this: If they're going to continue to allow zone defenses to work and shut down the paint, then they have to put six more seconds on the shot clock. A 30-second clock. But they're so attached to the idea of the 24-second clock that it doesn't happen. SI.com

Phil Jackson, Rules 

Calling Thursday’s sideline incident at Madison Square Garden that led to forward Stephen Jackson’s right ankle sprain “a Mayoral mishap,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called on the NBA to police activity along the league’s sidelines and baselines. “It’s maddening,” Popovich said of the incident in which Jackson lost his balance after running into a waitress during the first quarter of the Spurs-Knicks game. The waitress appeared to be taking an order from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg. “It’s an accident waiting to happen.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Rules 

Popovich expressed confidence the incident would spur the league to better control the sidelines during games. “After what happened, I have no doubt the league has contacted teams to make sure everybody shores up their discipline in that area,” he said. “It’s obvious people shouldn’t be ordering beers or Cokes or hot dogs when the game is going on.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Rules 

A league source told Grantland.com that NBA officials warned “about 10” players for flopping, but the league refused to release the names. “Flops have no place in our game — they either fool referees into calling undeserved fouls or fool fans into thinking the referees missed a foul call,” NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson said in a statement. “Accordingly, both the Board of Governors and the competition committee felt strongly that any player who the league determines, following video review, to have committed a flop should — after a warning — be given an automatic penalty.” Oklahoman

Rules 

A league source tells Grantland the NBA flop czars have already warned “about 10” players for preseason floppage, though the league won’t publicly release their names. (That will change once the season starts and the shaming begins.) But it’s clear already the league is taking this seriously, and an aggressive early push wouldn’t be a surprise. Grantland

Rules 

The NBA is taking steps to cut down on pregame handshakes and rituals that have become popular with players in recent years. Starting this season, as soon as player introductions are finished, there will be 90 seconds put on the game clock and teams will be expected to be ready for tipoff after that time. ESPN.com

Rules 

The guideline will eliminate or severely cut down on the routines players from most teams go through before games, which often include a series of handshakes with their own teammates before greeting opponents. It would also likely legislate out individual rituals like LeBron James' famous chalk toss, which he abandoned last season during the playoffs. ESPN.com

Rules 

Players around the league are already reacting negatively to the new policy. "I personally don't like it," Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant told The Oklahoman. "Every player in this league has routines they do with their teammates, rituals they do before the game and before they walk on the floor. The fans enjoy it. You see the fans mimicking the guys who do their stuff before the game. To cut that down really don't make no sense." ESPN.com

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant, Rules 

The Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade is one of the league's most active players before tipoff, usually greeting fans on all four sides of the arena, doing pull-ups on the rim and having a series of handshake routines. He said he'll have to adjust to the new rules. "I'll have to take something away for sure. I'm always going to make sure I show love to the fans," Wade said Wednesday in Miami. "There's so many rules, I can't keep up. ... There's no reason to make a big stink. It's their league, it's their rules." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Rules 

Brian Windhorst: LeBron on getting chalk toss in during new 90-second window before tip: "I won't change it, I'll be able to work it in." Twitter @WindhorstESPN

Miami Heat, LeBron James, Rules 

The effects of the NBA's new anti-flopping program are being felt by players even before the program has been fully implemented. Golden State Warriors guard Jarrett Jack indicated that he was among the first NBA players to receive a warning from the league for flopping, tweeting Tuesday, "So I've been warned for flopping hahaha." Jack has made anti-flopping comments in the past, including a tweet during last year's playoffs in which he implored referees to stop falling for the flops of Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin. ESPN.com

Golden State Warriors, Jarrett Jack, Rules