Even though staying in college to play for Oklahoma State might turn out as a good decision by Marcus Smart, part of the reason his draft stock is falling has been his disgusting knack for trying to cheat by pulling off a different flop at almost every game, which at this stage of the season has gotten a bit ridiculous.

If it was something that happened only once or twice during the season, people might be able to look past it and focus on his talent and the comparisons to Russell Westbrook. However, with Smart going for one acting performance after the other, it’s impossible to separate this facet of his game from his overall evaluation as a basketball player and even as a person.

There’s a difference between making the most of a situation where there is contact and you simply allow you body to fall or move more than is should like in some charges players take (like in the first Gif of Smart against Kansas State) and the blatant cheating that has become a big part of his repertoire, when he isn’t touched but still tries to flail his body all over the court and get the ref’s attention.

Smart is averaging 17.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.4 assists for Oklahoma State who are #19 in the nation but only 4-5 in conference play. Smart would have been a lottery pick and probably a top 5 one had he left to the NBA last season, but decided to stay on for another season along with Markel Brown and Le’Bryan Nash. So far, their aspirations of winning things together haven’t been working out.

Gif via http://imgur.com/a/WKl5g