Milwaukee Bucks: Will Jrue Holiday match up well against Jimmy Butler?

The rematch between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs is shaping up to be a heavyweight matchup.

The fifth-seeded Miami notoriously defeated the top-seeded Bucks in just five games during last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals before they eventually made it all the way to the NBA Finals. It was a devastating loss for the Bucks and if they will earn redemption this time around, they will have to learn from the many mistakes that led to their demise last year.

The Milwaukee Bucks should have Jrue Holiday primarily matched up against Jimmy Butler

Holiday’s status as one of the best defenders in basketball is not something that needs rehashing. The guard has earned praise from the best stars in the league for his robust ability to defend opponents and has rightfully proclaimed himself that he deserves to be a staple in the conversation for the Defensive Player of the Year award every single season.

The Bucks are hoping that the defensive excellence they envisioned when they traded for the guard comes to fruition against the Heat as they will likely throw Holiday at Butler this series. Although Butler did not play in any of Miami’s three regular season meetings with Milwaukee this season, Holiday’s track record of guarding Butler does provide optimism from the Bucks’ perspective.

According to NBA.com/stats, Butler has shot just 14-for-39 from the floor and 1-for-8 from behind the arc when being guarded by Holiday in their previous eight matchups since the start of the 2017-18 season. Holding Butler to just 36 percent shooting from the field is certainly something to behold as the Bucks lacked a player that could slow him down to any extent last year. While numbers from past matchups do not necessarily guarantee success this time around, particularly in a heightened postseason atmosphere, it is certainly reassuring.

Although playing in separate conferences for most of their careers has limited the matchups between these two, Holiday admitted that he always looks forward to going against another player with a reputable defensive skillset. When asked about squaring off against Butler in a seven-game series, the guard detailed Butler’s strong points and how excited he is for the matchup. You can watch the full clip on the team’s official YouTube page here:

"“Big game player. Big shot maker. Big on pump fakes. Very very strong in the post. Very strong defensively as well. Somebody who doesn’t back down. Somebody who I respect because I love the way that he plays… Definitely my type of guy. I’m a big fan of Jimmy Buckets. I’m excited to play against him.”"

The marquee matchup between these two All-Defensive stars could very well be the deciding factor in this seven-game series. As evidenced by his herculean performance versus the Bucks last year, he is the engine that makes that Miami team go, and they are a tough team to beat when he is firing on all cylinders.

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Holiday has squared off against the opposing team’s best player all throughout the regular season in heavyweight matchups, and he will immediately be put to the test right from the jump in the playoffs with the test of guarding Butler.

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