In the Western Conference, the match-up between the No. 1 seed and the No. 8 seed is probably going to play out in a “traditional” manner with the Golden State Warriors cruising past the Portland Trail Blazers. In the Eastern Conference, though, there is increasing buzz that the No. 8 seed Chicago Bulls could seriously threaten the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics. Much of that stems from Boston’s uninspiring profile as a top seed, and while point guard Isaiah Thomas has been outrageously good offensively this season, the Celtics seem more beatable than a run-of-the-mill team with 53 wins.
Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler is undoubtedly excited about trying to climb the mountain associated with a 1-vs-8 upset, and part of that will be slowing down Thomas by any means necessary. To that end, the talented two-way wing was asked about the possibility of him guarding Thomas. Via Nick Friedell of ESPN:
“I look forward to that matchup, especially what he’s done this year for that team. I know that it’s going to come at some point in time. I don’t know when — but I’m going to make it tough for him. For anybody that I’m guarding. Not just me, it’s going to be a team effort. I’m going to get beat at times, I’m going to need guys to be there. If not, then we’ll do it over and over again ’til somebody is there if I’m beat. But I look forward to that challenge. I want that.”
It is quite clear that Butler is excited for the opportunity to defend Thomas, despite the fact that he probably won’t be utilized in a full-game sense. In fact, Butler plainly stated on Friday that he could guard Thomas for “the whole game” if given the opportunity, and it could be an extended wrinkle for Chicago should Thomas abuse the likes of Rajon Rondo and others in the early going.
Shutting down Isaiah Thomas or, at the very least, containing him is the best and clearest path for the Chicago Bulls to seriously challenge the Boston Celtics in a seven-game series, and Jimmy Butler is the man for the job. Whether it is wise to expend the requisite energy on the defensive end, given Butler’s workload on the offensive side of the ball, remains up for debate, but at some point, we will almost certainly see the battle between the two best players in the series. Get your popcorn ready.
