Is Jimmy Butler the closest thing to a Lebron stopper?

[JordansBulls]

In the series vs the Bulls, Butler was the primary defender on Lebron and Lebron averaged 24 ppg on 44% FG. I think any opposing team would take those numbers from Lebron in a playoff series. Or do you think there are other players that can hold Lebron to worse numbers than that?

[mngopher35]

In the series vs the Bulls, Butler was the primary defender on Lebron and Lebron averaged 24 ppg on 44% FG. I think any opposing team would take those numbers from Lebron in a playoff series. Or do you think there are other players that can hold Lebron to worse numbers than that?

I think it had more to do with the Bulls defense as a whole. They play great team defense and almost always had someone waiting in the paint or to help in the post. That being said I think you could argue he is one of the better "Lebron stoppers" in the league. It is hard to say if he is the best for sure though. I think we should get a chance to see what Paul George can do next series too (he has a chance here but probably won't make Lebron's averages drop as much).

[RLundi]

I badly misread the title, I thought it originally said "Is Jimmy Butler a closet stripper?"

[Minimal]

Thats how I remember Butlers defense:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQUyB...tailpage#t=24s

I mean he might be good defensively, but I didn't noticed that really during the series and that says something. A lot more credit for LeBrons low FG% goes to Noah IMO.

[ChitownBears22]

Yeah Noah's help defense not Butler caused his "struggles"

[justinnum1]

Yes, but it helps when noah is the best help defender in the league.

[kozelkid]

Perhaps, but we need more than a 5 game sample size. People point out Noah, but Lebron has done much better against Deng.

That said, for either player, people have to realize that unlike most teams, Bulls do NOT double him. Hence why Heat role players often struggle and why Lebron often has big numbers against the Bulls.

[mp3]

Paul George say hi

[Ezio]

You have to guard Lebron as a committee. One fail rotation and he's at the hoop.

[Ezio]

Paul George say hi

We'll see about that this series.

[JC_]

Butler is great but I think most of Lebron's misses came near the rim where there were atleast 2 Bulls waiting for him most of the time. Bulls were trying to get as close as they could to illegal defense without getting called so that prevented a lot of potential drives as well.

[Doogolas]

I wish the question WAS "Is Jimmy Butler a closet stripper?" That would be way more fun.

Like Kozey said, need more than a five game sample.

Further, to the people pointing out Noah, that's how the Bulls' defense works. When it got down to ISO time, LeBron definitely struggled to get by Jimmy. But throughout the course of the game, Jimmy's job was to take away the middle of the floor and lead LeBron to a side and more than that, towards Joakim Noah.

He did a really good job of it.

As for Paul George, LeBron has put up:
26.4P/5.9A/8.3R on 46% shooter.

Like Jimmy, it's a small sample size.

[girlsluvBeyonce]

melo

[Raps18-19 Champ]

Nope. No individual player can stop Lebron. No player out there is great enough of a preimeter and interior defender to defend Lebron both on the perimeter and inside. A great team defense can definitely limit him (like George and Hibbert).

[naps]

Butler is an awesome defender but let's not go as far as calling someone a stopper because he certainly didn't stop him, rather slowed him down and a lot of credit goes to the Bulls (Read Noah)'s terrific help defense.


I remember JB making a similar thread "Is Deng the LeBron stopper?" about 2 years ago