With injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner, Jericho Sims has played a more important role lately, and he's done well. The big man has shown signs of growth in many facets, but one factor clearly holding him back is foul trouble. If he can get a grip on this lingering concern, his importance to the Bucks will only grow as they enter a pivotal stretch of games.
Jericho Sims has all of the makings to be a useful piece for the Bucks
In the month of February, Sims is averaging 2.6 personal fouls per game. That is the most on the team this month. Though Sims has been extremely impactful, the constant foul trouble limits how much he will play. In Milwaukee's latest game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Sims played just 19 minutes, his second-fewest in a game this month, because he picked up four personal fouls.
In his last three games, Sims has totaled 12 personal fouls, tied for the most in the NBA. That just cannot happen if a role player wants to log significant minutes on a nightly basis.
To be fair, plenty of Sims' fouls are questionable. Sometimes he will barely touch a driving player, and the offensive player will get a favorable whistle. It happens. However, there are also times when Sims sets a screen that's too aggressive or simply isn't set. He has four offensive fouls this month. These are the types of fouls he can truly work on preventing moving forward.
Sims has quietly worked his way into the rotation, but he still has room to grow, and it starts here.
Turnovers aside, Sims has been great lately. This month, 7.3 rebounds, 7.1 points, 1.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks per game. Offensively, he continues to do most of his damage right at the hoop, as he's hitting 80.6 percent of his shots. His rebounding has been marvelous, given just how much of a weakspot that has been for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.
With no timetable for Giannis' return and Myles Turner still battling a calf strain, Sims' importance to the Milwaukee Bucks isn't going anywhere. He's averaging 23.4 minutes per game this month, and it wouldn't be surprising if that number held steady moving forward. The young big man has a golden opportunity to prove himself to this team but only if he stays out of foul trouble.
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