5 Worst NBA Floppers Who Deserve Serious Oscar Consideration

Flopping in the NBA is one of the most universally frowned upon acts a player can commit, but the best flop artists in the league have managed to turn it into such an elevated art form that it comes right back around to being interesting. These five NBA players are hated by pretty much everyone except their own fanbase whenever they pretend like they got shot in order to pick up a foul, but the acting jobs they put on often work in their favor. Here are five floppers whose overdramatic performances deserve serious Oscar consideration.

5. Draymond Green

Green is an enigma, as he is simultaneously one of the most ferocious defenders and toughest dudes in the league, but he is also keen on crumbling to the hardwood in an attempt to draw a foul. Green's polarizing personality and penchant for gesticulating in all sorts of weird ways whenever he feels like trying to coax the refs into a call makes him one of the league's best actors.

4. Chris Paul

You won't find a single soul that will say a negative word about Paul as a player, as the future Hall of Famer's resume speaks for itself. If there is one criticism of his game, it's the fact that he isn't above trying to sell any little hint of contact. In terms of the sheer number of times he hits the deck, Paul might be at the very top of the list, and was a major reason why he and James Harden made for such a hated duo in Houston.

3. Joel Embiid

What has Embiid so high on this list is the frequency with which he flops despite the fact that he might be the strongest pound for pound guy in the entire league. We are expected to believe that light brushes near the head area will send a 7-2, 280-pound guy with the muscle definition of a Greek hero crashing down to the ground? Come on, Joel. One of the game's most prolific and frequent floppers, Embiid would be in the running to take home Oscar glory.

2. James Harden

Harden is the most high-profile flopper, as criticism of the Rockets and their style of play centers around Harden and what many believe to be beneficial treatment on foul calls given to him. Harden has been a flopper for most of his career, and that behavior has only amplified now that Houston based their whole offense around him getting to the free throw line. It keeps working, so he's only going to flop more and more as his career progresses.

1. Marcus Smart

Smart is the king of flops. Not only will he look for literally any excuse to send himself skyward, but he will literally go several feet in the air as he tries to earn his Celtics a call. Celtics fans might love him, but every time he pulls some legendary foolishness like that, the rest of the league wants his head on a pike for exhibiting this "tough guy" persona while flopping like a fish any time he gets touched.