New Study Reveals Milwaukee Bucks are Most Behaved NBA Team

A new ranking reveals which team has caused the least disruption in the NBA over the last five seasons – and it turns out the Milwaukee Bucks are the most well-behaved team.  

The study, conducted by US betting experts USA Legal Betting, analyzed NBA teams’ performance over the past five years to identify who committed the most personal fouls, and scaled this against playing time to reveal the most frequent offenders.   

A personal foul is caused when a player makes illegal contact with another player on the court to block their movement, such as charging and blocking.   

According to the NBA, infractions of the rules are taken very seriously and can lead to a loss of ball possession or free throws. If a player accumulates six personal fouls in a game, he will be disqualified for the remainder of the match.   

These violations can also impact fans’ experience – especially if they result in a players’ temporary removal from the game.  

It’s also interesting to see which team is likely to be most affected by the NBA’s recent attempts to cut down on ‘flopping’, which sees players try to draw a charging violation on an opposing team. Those suspected of flopping will be penalized and fined up to $2,000.   

And it turns out these new penalties will prove less of a problem for the Milwaukee Bucks, as they committed the fewest violations, with a foul recorded every 12 minutes 59 seconds.  

This is significantly lower than the league average offense frequency (once every 12 minutes) and is a far less disruptive performance when compared to the Milwaukee Bucks’’ rivals the Chicago Bulls, who committed a foul once every 12 minutes and 17 seconds.   

Following closely behind the Bucks is Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs as the second and third most well-behaved teams, with a foul committed once every 12 minutes 58 seconds and every 12 minutes 57 seconds respectively. 

The top ten least disruptive teams in the NBA, ranked  

On the other end of the scale, the most destructive NBA team is Detroit Pistons with a foul committed every 11 minute 19 seconds – a 14.7% increase compared to the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Phoenix Suns come in as the second most badly-behaved team with a personal foul every 11 minutes 24 seconds. The team have never won a championship, but with the removal of Deandre Ayton, who commits a foul on average every 10 minutes, they may have a shot.  

Fans of the Minnesota Timberwolves will be disappointed to learn that – after averaging a personal foul every 11 minutes 25 seconds – they’re the third most disruptive team.   

As well as looking at the least disruptive teams, the analysis reveals the players that cause the least disruption. The Washington Wizards’ Tyus Jones was named the least problematic player in the NBA, having committed a foul every 34 minutes 58 seconds.  

The second best-behaved player is JaVale McGee who plays for the Sacramento Kings, while the third-most behaved player is Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves.   

The worst-behaved player in the NBA is Dewayne Dedmon, playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, who reports 81% fewer personal fouls than NBA good boy Tyus Jones.   

Speaking on the findings, a USA Legal Betting spokesperson said: “When key players accumulate fouls and are forced to sit on the bench due to foul trouble, it can significantly impact a team’s performance – as well as fan opinion. Fans of that team may feel anxious or concerned about the outcome of the game, especially if their star player is in trouble.  

“Avoiding fouls in the NBA is crucial for maintaining player availability, preventing free points for the opponent, and sustaining team momentum.   

“Coaches and players must prioritize disciplined defense and smart, controlled play to optimize their chances of success in the highly competitive NBA environment.”  

Data gathered from Basketball Reference.