Matt Velazquez

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Over the opening two months of the NBA season – maybe as recently as Monday night – you might have caught yourself wondering, "Is it just me, or is Giannis Antetokounmpo getting called for more offensive fouls this season?"

Well, it's not just you.

Coming off a game on Monday in Detroit in which the Milwaukee Bucks star was whistled for three charges, he has been assessed 27 offensive fouls in 27 games, according to Basketball-Reference.com. That number puts him on pace for about 80 offensive fouls, which far exceeds his high of 49 in 2014-'15 and is drastically higher than his 39 offensive fouls in 75 games last season.

For reference, Dwight Howard and Julius Randle led the NBA with 57 offensive fouls each last season, according to Basketball Reference. DeMarcus Cousins was on pace for even more, with 48 offensive fouls in 48 games last season before he ruptured his left Achilles tendon.

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As frustrating as the whistles have been for Antetokounmpo heading into Wednesday's 7 p.m. clash with the New Orleans Pelicans at Fiserv Forum, he recognizes they're a byproduct of the way he plays. You can't be one of the hardest-driving, most-assertive players in the league without drawing some whistles.

Sure, he can always manage his positioning or footwork better, but he's not going to throttle down for fear of fouls. He did exercise slightly more patience and deference during the first half after picking up two fouls in the first three minutes Monday, but after halftime, he resumed to his usual hard-driving style.

“Mentally what I’m thinking is that no matter how many fouls I have I’ve got to be aggressive," Antetokounmpo said after Monday's win over the Pistons in which he scored 32 points on 14 of 19 shooting. "I can’t stop being aggressive and not making plays because whenever I stop being aggressive I don’t make plays; it doesn’t help my team be great.”

Antetokounmpo has waged a relentless assault on rims all season, leaving would-be defenders in his wake either by virtue of his strength, speed, athleticism or all three combined. He's been fairly unstoppable, too, averaging 10.8 shot attempts per game in the restricted area, including a league-leading 123 dunks, while shooting 78.2 percent on those shots.

For opponents, curtailing Antetokounmpo's production is item No. 1 on the scouting report when facing the Bucks. Thus far, two strategies have stood out.

Quick double-teams and swarming defenses have caused problems, particularly in the Bucks' last two losses against the Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers. In those games, Antetokounmpo opted to instead kick to three-point shooters, who struggled to convert, resulting in two of Milwaukee's three worst three-point shooting performances of the season.

On drives when doubling Antetokounmpo might not be an option, defenders holding their ground and angling for charge calls has been a common practice. Blake Griffin drew whistles for charging calls twice Monday, including getting the call against Antetokounmpo baseline drive in the final minute. That call, while close, was confirmed as correct by the NBA's Last Two-Minute Report released Tuesday.

Drives like that from the corner or wing have resulted in a handful of charge calls this season. Antetokounmpo has also collected a fair number of charges that look more like the one called in the first quarter on Monday when he drove the center of the lane, crashing into Griffin.

Over the season, he's been called for offensive fouls on drives from the top of the key against the likes of Indiana’s Thaddeus Young, Detroit’s Zaza Pachulia, New York’s Noah Vonleh, Denver’s Mason Plumlee and Memphis’ Kyle Anderson among others.

Of course, not all calls go against Antetokounmpo. As one of the league's top players, he's gotten the superstar treatment at times. There have been plays on which defenders have crashed to the ground, only to get charged with a foul while looking up to watch Antetokounmpo throw down a dunk. Through 27 games, Antetokounmpo has 38 and-ones, nearly half of his total (77) in 75 games last season.

Coach Mike Budenholzer has spoken all season about how he appreciates Antetokounmpo's driving talents and aggressiveness meshed with his ability to kick out to shooters and make the right play. At times, the offensive fouls have been an issue, but even in moments of confusion and frustration over 50-50 calls, he has been impressed by Antetokounmpo's ability to both turn the page as well as continue to push the envelope.

“We’ve talked about it all year – he’s great about going to the next play," Budenholzer said. "At times it can be frustrating. You feel like he had several charges that are called in either instance where it could be a block or just play on. … He keeps fighting, keeps playing. It’s one of his great characteristics.”