As they look to get a feel for the game, the young Milwaukee Bucks players will make more mistakes than the veterans on most occasions.
This was the case with wing Andre Jackson Jr. Outside of his hesitancy on offense, Jackson's fatal flaw was his fouling, as the second-year guard, who started for a significant chunk of this season, would often get himself in foul trouble early in games by playing overly aggressive defense. Those fouling issues are among the reasons Jackson has been benched for the time being.
While Jackson hasn't been getting much run lately, his foul trouble has transferred over to another young Milwaukee Bucks guard.
Bucks' AJ Green has been picking up his share of fouls lately
Following the NBA All-Star break, AJ Green is averaging a team-high 3.2 personal fouls per contest. That is currently tied for the fifth-highest average in the NBA in that timeframe.
In his defense, Green picks up plenty of ticky tack fouls that feel like the referees should have kept it to themselves. It's clear that he's trying on defense; when he's matched up against a bigger player, he oftentimes gets a bit more physical as he tries to hold his own, which leads to the foul calls due to the size advantage, sometimes unjustly.
Still, there are times when Green simply commits bad fouls, whether it comes from him reaching in on his matchup or bumping someone. Again, he's a young player, and he's learning. He joined the Bucks as a 3-point specialist, and they are trying to mold him into being that and a capable defender. So far, even with the fouling issues, he's well on his way to that stature, but there's been a bump in the road.
The foul issues aren't exactly new for AJ Green, as he averaged 2.1 per game prior to All-Star break, but they've certainly worsened in the few games since play resumed. Part of that stems from Green playing a much more prominent role over these last six games. Even with the foul trouble, it's clear Doc Rivers trusts the young wing and that he wants him to be a key piece in this rotation.
Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, AJ Green's main objective for the rest of the year should revolve around getting a grip on his fouling while remaining a sharp defender.
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