ESPN’s First Take produced a viral moment Thursday when Jay Williams said that Heat star Jimmy Butler was harder to guard this year than Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
The question was based on an Aaron Gordon quote in which he said Butler “is a difficult cover for different reasons” than the challenges Durant and James present. The take was sure to raise some eyebrows even with Butler’s dominance this postseason, and Smith’s immediate reaction was priceless. Williams did, however, make a fairly compelling case, arguing that Durant had been thrust into a new system with the Suns and was coming off an injury, while LeBron was facing taxing defensive responsibilities.
“Jimmy Butler, a guy who can get to different spots, a guy who actually has attention to detail in the conditioning, is different than the other two,” Williams said. He later called him one of the best in the NBA at using ball fakes, shot fakes and “unorthodox moves” around the rim.
