Sent to coal in individual defense against a player on fire, Jrue Holiday will long remember these sessions of torture in mondovision, during which he remained helpless in front of a Jimmy Butler in levitation.
During the first round won 4-1 by Miami, the leader of the Bucks had indeed been commissioned to defend on “Jimmy Buckets”, he who is used to the most difficult defensive missions.
A streak averaging 37.6 points per game…
Except that this time, it was his opponent who took the best, and in what way! Author of two games in a row at 56 then 42 points to complete the series, the former Bulls and Wolves winger will have averaged 37.6 points per game with staggering success percentages (59.7% shooting, 44.4% at 3 -points).
“Looking back, I think it was fun. I play to measure myself against the best players. I defend to face the best, whatever the position or the situation. When I was in it was hot. I was getting my ass kicked. And then he started trashtalking, I think last game. And indeed, that’s what competitors do, and Jimmy Butler is the quintessential competitor. But we hate defeat. And I hate to lose”, he told the “Sideline Stroll with Ros” podcast hosted by Ros Gold-Onwude.
The worst part is that Jrue Holiday does not think he defended particularly badly on Jimmy Butler. It’s just that the latter was too hot, so much so that neither LeBron James nor Michael Jordan could have done better according to him.
“I made the decisions I made about those moments, and I’m sticking to them. I did with my strength. On many successful plays by Jimmy, there was nothing to do. And nobody could have done anything about it. Brook Lopez, LeBron James or Michael Jordan… It didn’t matter who would have been on him, Jimmy was just playing on another level.”
Impossible to hold the superstars in one-on-one
His statements did not fail to react, in Denver in particular, where Michael Malone projected himself on the possibility of having to in turn find a way to contain Jimmy Butler.
For the Nuggets coach, the mission should not rest on the shoulders of a single man, as was the case in the series between Miami and Milwaukee, where the Bucks have left Jrue Holiday battling alone for far too long against a Jimmy Butler, who had gained confidence and largely dominated this duel.
“You don’t stop a guy like Jimmy Butler with just one player. It won’t just be the responsibility of Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr or whoever defends on him. That’s how you gotta defend on guys like that, KDs, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker, LeBron James.” did he declare. “It must be five guys defending like one to try to stop such talent. You have to offer him different match-ups, disrupt him, and get all five players to focus on this task, one possession at a time.
| Jimmy Butler | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2011-12 | CHI | 42 | 9 | 40.5 | 18.2 | 76.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2012-13 | CHI | 82 | 26 | 46.7 | 38.1 | 80.3 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 8.6 |
| 2013-14 | CHI | 67 | 39 | 39.7 | 28.3 | 76.9 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 13.1 |
| 2014-15 | CHI | 65 | 39 | 46.2 | 37.8 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2015-16 | CHI | 67 | 37 | 45.5 | 31.1 | 83.2 | 1.2 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 20.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHI | 76 | 37 | 45.5 | 36.7 | 86.5 | 1.7 | 4.5 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 23.9 |
| 2017-18 | MIN | 59 | 37 | 47.4 | 35.0 | 85.4 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 22.2 |
| 2018-19 * | All Teams | 65 | 34 | 46.2 | 34.7 | 85.5 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 18.7 |
| 2018-19 * | PHL | 55 | 33 | 46.1 | 33.8 | 86.8 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 18.2 |
| 2018-19 * | MIN | 10 | 36 | 47.1 | 37.8 | 78.7 | 1.6 | 3.6 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 21.3 |
| 2019-20 | MIA | 58 | 34 | 45.5 | 24.4 | 83.4 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 20.0 |
| 2020-21 | MIA | 52 | 34 | 49.7 | 24.5 | 86.3 | 1.8 | 5.1 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| 2021-22 | MIA | 57 | 34 | 48.0 | 23.3 | 87.0 | 1.8 | 4.1 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 21.4 |
| 2022-23 | MIA | 64 | 33 | 53.9 | 35.0 | 85.0 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 22.9 |
| Total | 754 | 33 | 46.8 | 32.2 | 84.2 | 1.6 | 3.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 18.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
