Stephen A. Smith says Jimmy Butler will ‘go down’ against the Knicks
NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith believes that Jimmy Butler is going down against the New York Knicks.
Smith is a New York Knicks supporter. The Knicks won the playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Butler won his team the series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Butler scored a grand total of 188 points in 5 games against the Bucks, which included a 56-point demolition in game 4.
The Miami Heat were able to pull off a huge upset against Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose free throw misses ended up costing his team quite a bit.
Regardless, Stephen A. Smith claimed that while Butler is a great Playoff player, he will be going down against his team, the New York Knicks:
“We have to stop this man. We have to stop this man. There are a lot of reasons to worry. We can talk later about how much he was helped, but in the end, it does not take away form the greatness, of Jimmy Butler. I understand that when I am talking about Jimmy, I am talking about greatness.”
"[Jimmy Butler] will go down in this series. The Garden is a different animal."
@stephenasmith is riding with the Knicks vs. the Heat ✍️ https://t.co/oWtjmbtK36
He added:
“But New York is a different animal baby. And Jimmy has been to a lot of states. Vut when you come to the god, it’s a different thing. We gonna find out. The point we are trying to make is, this coach is familiar with Jimmy Butler."
"I am saying, there is a reason to fear Jimmy Butler, but that will only elevate the level of focus and commitment that is necessary to take him down. And he will go down, in this series.”
Stephen A. Smith compares Jimmy Butler to a god
The way Jimmy Butler took over the series was a feat for the ages. Butler has always been considered a clutch player who comes alive during the playoffs. He was aptly helped during the series and Game 5 by the likes of Kevin Love, Gabe Vincent, and Bam Adebayo.
However, it was Butler who was everywhere on the court and stole the show. He was on the court for more than 46 minutes in Game 5 and produced the Heat’s highest individual score in a playoff match in Game 4.
Jimmy Butler's 35 points in Game 1 marked his 10th 35+ point game with the Heat... the second-most in franchise history!
Butler, Miami seek 2-0 series lead at 9 PM ET on NBA TV. https://t.co/Z0ImVEFY5X
“I am very concerned because he is that dude," said Smith.
"We will have discussions later, about what this man has done over the last four years in the postseason. I understand that. Jimmy Butler is a superstar in the playoffs. He is something special. He is a dog. He is not just one of those people who wants to win. He wants to come and win it as a spirit god.”
The New York Knicks have a talented roster of multiple young superstars, including Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett. However, Stephen A. Smith might have a reason to be concerned.