November didn't get off to the best of starts for the Milwaukee Bucks, with their collapse against the Sacramento Kings dampening a positive start to the season. They started the game hot but continued to become frustrated, with AJ Green once again getting into foul trouble as the refs continued to call soft fouls against him, a common trend this season.
AJ Green is being punished when guarding bigger opponents
Green has started the season extremely well, averaging 12.7 points and 2.7 rebounds on shooting splits of .568/.513/.667 in the first six games of the season. Despite the defeat, he had another positive performance with 17 points on 6-for-12 (50 percent) shooting from the field.
However, he ended Saturday night with five personal fouls. There were question marks over the officiating throughout, with the Bucks earning four technical fouls. Four of Green's fouls were in the flow of the game, with his fifth foul being a personal take foul to send Dennis Schroder to the free-throw line in the dying seconds.
Doc Rivers has made the starting lineup clear, surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo with shooters, and it has been a recipe for success early in the season. With Gary Trent Jr. and Green as the wings, they are undersized, and there are always going to be issues with fouling simply due to them taking on bigger opponents.
Two of Green's fouls were on Zach LaVine, one being off-ball as the former Chicago Bull was using an off-ball screen to get open. Green's fourth foul was on Domantas Sabonis, as he and Myles Turner switched to defend a screen. All the fouls are pretty soft, and it has been something Green has found difficult to manage early into the season.
Across the first five games, he had four fouls on two occasions and three fouls on two occasions. It is something the Milwaukee Bucks will have to live with, but his shooting is so effective that the team doesn't want him to sit out to avoid foul trouble.
Over time, the refs may call the game differently, and these 'ticky tack' fouls may begin to be called less as we get further into the season. Amir Coffey has shown what he can offer the team, so the Bucks may have to sacrifice one of Trent or Green at times so that a bigger body can come in and hold off opposing wings.
Overall, Green's individual defense has improved greatly during his time in Milwaukee. There isn't much he can do when he is guarding bigger wings, but as he continues to develop, he will learn to get cuter with his defense. He can more than hold his own; the Bucks just can't see him in foul trouble often, as his offense is so valuable to the team.