Unnecessary fouls have been an issue for the Milwaukee Bucks all season. Partly it’s an issue of size; the Bucks don’t have many options for guarding bigger wings. Forced into the role, Gary Trent Jr. (6-foot-5) and AJ Green (6-foot-4) are going to draw whistles by default. Playing physical, sometimes overly physical, is the only way they can compensate for their lack of stature facing 6-foot-7 small forwards.
Partly, too, it is a matter of discipline. Green can improve in that regard. Point guar Cole Anthony racked up fouls at an unsustainably high rate before poor overall play cost him his spot in the rotation.
More recently, however, the Bucks have started to do a bit better at keeping their hands to themselves. Sunday against the Timberwolves marked the first time all season they have fouled fewer times than the opponent in consecutive games.
Cutting down on fouls would be small step in right direction
That observation is courtesy of Frank Madden, Brew Hoop founder and frequent guest on the Locked on Bucks podcast. Fittingly, given how the season has gone, both games ended in losses, but for anyone seeking “silver linings,” as Madden humorously observed on the podcast, the foul issue has improved.
Apr 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr (5) reacts against the Philadelphia 76ers in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Sunday in Minnesota, in a 103-100 defeat, the Bucks committed 15 fouls to the Wolves’ 18. Hosting Toronto on Thursday, they committed 19 to the Raptors’ 20. That includes an end-game whistle on the Bucks when they were intentionally fouling inside the last two minutes of a 111-105 loss.
This development fits within a larger trend. “I think it was like the first 21 games or something like that, they had fewer fouls than the opponent just once,” Madden said. “And now they’ve done it four times in the last, call it eight games or so. Which again has not translated into team success, per se, but if you’re to try to architect your way out of a deep hole into, maybe, you know, a medium-sized hole, or maybe from a deep grave into a shallow grave. … Let’s try to upgrade to a shallow grave.”
Baby steps. Amid an 11-18 season that hasn’t gone anything like the Bucks had hoped, gallows humor is perhaps the only way to remain sane.
Nov 1, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder (17) extends for the ball against Milwaukee Bucks guard AJ Green (20) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The next step up, out from a shallow grave and onto more level ground, will be getting to the line more often themselves. The fouling issue has been compounded thus far by the fact the Bucks do not getting many points off free throws while funneling opportunities to opponents.
For More Great Wisconsin Content
Follow me on X at @ezsniper14 and follow us@WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports,click here!