Milwaukee Bucks consider this change on Butler. Heat’s Spoelstra explains Nunn decision
Jimmy Butler’s epic 40-point performance in Game 1 had Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer rethinking how to defend him when the Heat and Bucks resume their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday at the Disney campus.
And that could mean putting Milwaukee’s MVP candidate on the Heat’s leading scorer more often.
Giannis Antekounmpo was the primary defender on only one of Butler’s 20 shots, with Butler making 13 of those 20 field goal attempts and 12 free throws in 13 attempts in Miami’s 115-104 win.
Budenholzer said Tuesday that putting Antetokoumpo more on Butler is “certainly a consideration and a discussion.”
According to NBA Advanced Stats, Butler on Monday shot 0 for 1 when Antetokounmpo was his primary defender, 5 for 5 when defended by Kris Middleton, 3 for 3 against George Hill, 1 for 4 against Wes Matthews, 0 for 1 against Marvin Williams, 1 for 2 against Pat Connaughton, 0 for 1 against Brook Lopez and 1 for 1 against Donte DiVecenzo.
That NBA web site had no defenders designated on two of Butler’s shots.
When asked late Monday night if he asked to switch onto Butler during Butler’s late-game explosion, Antetokounmpo said: “To guard him? No, I didn’t. Why would you ask that? I’ll do whatever coach wants me to do.”
Whoever guards Butler must do a better job, Budenholzer indicated.
“Certainly I think we can be better on Jimmy Butler,” Budenholzer said. “We’ve got to do a better job there in all of the 48 minutes. Goran Dragic, in the pick and roll game, his ability to get in the paint, those are the two guys who have the ball the most and you’ve got to be good with those two as a starting points.”
Dragic scored 27 in Game 1.
What do the Bucks need to do better at taking away from Butler?
“It’s everything,” Budenholzer said. “Maybe keep him out of the paint, keep him in front of us better. He made some tough shots. We can be better defensively. He had one of those playoff moments and rose up and hit shots that were contested and difficult, and to his credit, he made them.”
The problem with defending Butler, Bucks guard Kyle Korver said, is “if you try to take away his scoring, he’s going to find other things to do. Jimmy’s a great player.”
Middleton put it this way: “He is a great player on both sides of the ball. He’s a great one-on-one player and we allowed him to play one-on-one.”
Butler’s 40 points were a playoff career high. Only LeBron James and Dwyane Wade previously had reached that mark in a playoff game for the Heat.
NUNN’S ROLE
Erik Spoelstra, on the decision to use Kendrick Nunn in Game 1 after Nunn played in only one of the four playoff games against Indiana:
“He’s been one of our most important players all season long. It’s all hands on deck, but he’s a guy that can bring us scoring, shooting, playmaking, a lot of defense that we’ll need in a series against a really good opponent like Milwaukee.”
Spoestra said Nunn “has really stayed with it” since recovering from COVID-19 in late June and early July. “COVID is real as we’ve continued to let people know,” Spoelstra said.
Nunn’s insertion into the rotation meant no minutes for Derrick Jones Jr., with Spoelstra opting to play only four off his bench.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Nunn said of playing in Game 1 against the Bucks. “Me and Spo talked before. He told me during those Bucks wins that I was a big contributor to those wins, so I’ll definitely be in the rotation come this round. I was ready for it and I’m always staying ready.”
▪ Bucks point guard Eric Bledsoe, who missed Game 1 with a hamstring injury, “was able to do 10 to 15 minutes of actual basketball and additional work” in a very light Bucks practice Tuesday and his availability remains in question for Game 2, Budenholzer said.
“He’s someone who can run our offense, penetrate, get guys involved, score,... one of the best off ball defenders in the league,” Middleton said. “We need him out there. Hopefully we see him out there soon.”
▪ Korver, on the state of the series: “There are a lot of things we can do better. There’s a healthy respect and healthy fear of our opponent; nothing more than that. I didn’t feel like we played a bad game. It felt like a B. A B is not good enough. If you want to win in the playoffs, you’ve got to get an A.”
Middleton said: “I don’t think anybody on our team has any doubt about whether we can win this series.”
▪ Jae Crowder was the only Heat player who was on the court for all 12 fourth quarter minutes on Monday.
“He was playing well, doing a lot of things well for us defensively,” Spoelstra said. “Multiple efforts, toughness on the glass, offensively providing really good stability and spacing for us.”
▪ Tuesday was the 25th anniversary of the Heat sending a first-round draft pick to the Knicks for Pat Riley.
Spoelstra recalled on Tuesday that he was “super nervous” the day that happened because “I thought I would probably be out. He couldn’t bring anyone from New York.
“If he could, he was definitely going to bring Jeff [Van Gundy] and possibly the whole staff…. Fast forward now and I’m extremely grateful for all these years working for the Godfather. He has been an incredible blessing in my life.”
▪ The 67 combined points by Butler and Dragic were the third-most by teammates in a Heat playoff game, behind two 2012 games by James and Wade when they combined for 70 and 69, both against Indiana.
▪ Bam Adebayo is now the first player in Heat history with 15 rebounds and 5 assists in consecutive playoff games.
THIS AND THAT
▪ Tyler Herro’s big late three for the Heat in Game 1 wasn’t surprising, considering this: Herro this season has made 10 of 21 threes during the NBA’s definition of clutch time (final five minutes with a margin of five point or fewer).
Among all NBA players (minimum 20 attempts), only Joe Harris and Kelly Oubre have shot better on clutch threes since the season opened.
▪ Not only has Crowder’s 3-point shooting been an asset, but look what he has done defensively in postseason: When guarded by Crowder, Victor Oladipo shot 7 for 22 in the Heat-Pacers series and the Bucks’ Kris Middleton shot 3 for 9.
▪ Monday’s opener was viewed in 6 percent of Miami-Fort Lauderdale homes with TV sets, making it the most watched TV program in the market…. Fox Sports Sun is carrying 60-minute Heat postgame shows for the next three games, as soon as Tampa Bay Rays coverage ends… ESPN assigned Dave Pasch and Doris Burke to Game 2... ABC will air Game 4 at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, with TNT carrying Game 3 at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 4:03 PM.
