"We talked about this when Giannis was playing against KD" - NBA analyst calls for Giannis Antetokoumpo to guard Jimmy Butler
The No.1 seed Milwaukee Bucks find themselves down 3-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series with the Miami Heat. Miami forward Jimmy Butler put on a performance for the ages in Game 4, scoring 56 points in Monday's 119-114 win.
On his radio show "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," ESPN’s Jay Williams offered a new defensive strategy for the Bucks to slow down Butler. Williams called out Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and said he needs to step up.
Williams said Antetokounmpo needs to take it upon himself to shut down Butler, calling for the star to guard Butler on every defensive possession:
“I’m gonna need the Defensive Player of the Year to actually guard Jimmy Butler. ... We talked about this when Giannis was playing against Kevin Durant, and it was like, ‘Alright, here’s the matchup.' ... GA, you need to guard this man. ... I need you to guard him every possession right now. These are the moments that are built for the greatest player on the planet.”
“I’m gonna need the Defensive Player of the Year to actually guard Jimmy Butler.”
@RealJayWilliams challenges Giannis to shut Jimmy Buckets down. #KJM twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/jHQfXJKln7
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a defensive force
Giannis Antetokounmpo won Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and is a four-time All-Defensive first-team selection.
Williams' co-host, former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, countered that Antetokounmpo may get into foul trouble and would risk a diminished offensive output if he is on the bench sitting with fouls. Butler is known for his crafty ability to get to the free-throw line and draw fouls.
Williams said it did not matter what Antetokounmpo does on offense, and the fouls are also insignificant. The priority should be shutting down Butler, who almost single-handedly has the Heat up 3-1 in the series.
Antetokounmpo left Game 1 early with a lower-body injury after a scary foul. He missed Game 2 as the Bucks blew out the Heat. He also missed Game 3 in Miami when the Heat won.
Antetokounmpo returned for Game 4 where he posted a triple-double. The Greek Freak scored 26 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had 13 assists.
His playmaking and passing ability were particularly on display in pick-and-roll situations with fellow big man Brook Lopez. Lopez led the Bucks in Game 4 with 36 points.
Need to see this version of Giannis tomorrow https://t.co/SXITNhQSNC
The Heat erased a 10-point deficit with five minutes to go in Game 4. The Bucks threw multiple defenses at Butler, often using four-time All-Defensive team member Jrue Holiday, but could not slow him down.
The Bucks wing players who often matchup against Butler are a bit older and better offensive than defensive players. It will be interesting to see how often Antetokounmpo matches up one-on-one with Butler in Game 5.
Game 5 will be in Milwaukee on Wednesday.