Milwaukee Bucks Best and Worst: December 30 – January 5

Best: Giannis Fixes the Fouls

In one of my earlier Best and Worsts of the season, I pointed out Giannis’ tendency to foul early and often as one of the fixable flaws in his game. At that point, he was coming off a year leading the league in total fouls and was on pace to better that mark this season.

Since that point, however, we’ve seen a definite improvement in his play. Although he still leads the team with 3.4 fouls per game, he’s committed only 2.4 per contest in his last five games. In the Bucks’ win over the Thunder, he had his first career game with over 20 points and zero fouls.

This recent downturn has occurred partially because of Giannis being less reckless on the defensive end and also partially as a result of the Bucks’ defensive scheme.

Even though he is considered to play the small forward position, Giannis actually guards the opposing power forward most of the time. This allows him to roam off his man more frequently, using his length and quickness to disrupt opposing passes and drives.

Less responsibility on the ball has allowed for Giannis to cut down on unnecessary contact and boost his steal and block numbers to 1.9 and 2.0 per game.

Without having to worry about foul trouble, Jason Kidd can have a more concrete idea of his rotation heading into games, and Giannis can spend more time out on the floor leading the Bucks.