NBA gives Mirotic, Watson flop warnings

The NBA handed out some coal in the stockings of two Eastern Conference players this week, dolling out a pair of flop warnings.

Chicago Bulls rookie Nikola Mirotic got hit with a warning on Dec. 23 for a play against the Toronto Raptors on Dec. 22. On the play in question, Mirotic oversold a bump in the back from Jonas Valanciunas in rather dramatic fashion.

Indiana Pacers guard C.J. Watson was also warned for his acting on Saturday, stemming from a play against the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 26. Watson was guilty of embellishing contact from Andre Drummond on a similar attempt for a defensive rebound.

The plays were actually quite similar, so it appears Mirotic's warning didn't send an effective message.

Neither player has been warned in the past. As per the league's flopping escalation rules, the next time either player is deemed to have flopped, they'll be fined $5,000.