Leading scorer Butler will also guard James
Jimmy Butler spent 40-plus minutes guarding LeBron James in playoff games two years ago when the Bulls faced Miami in the second round.
Back then, Butler was known mostly for his defense. Now he's the Bulls leading scorer, both in the regular season and playoffs. Guarding LeBron and scoring more than 20 points per game - is that too many entrees for one man's plate?
"He's got to do his job," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Sunday at the Advocate Center. "That's what we've asked him to do. He has always guarded a primary guy. He has to go do it. Same thing on the offensive end.
"We don't want any one guy carrying the burden. With a guy like LeBron, we need our whole team locked into him and not at the expense of opening up everything else. And then offensively, we have to move the ball and share the ball."
In the Milwaukee series, Butler averaged 24.8 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting 47.6 percent from the field. He also led the Bulls with 43 free throw attempts, which should be important again in this series.
LeBron keeping busy:
LeBron James has been through maybe the toughest workload in the NBA history. Not only did he play in the Finals the past four years with Miami, he also participated in the 2012 Olympics.
And he averaged 43 minutes in the first round against Boston, although that series lasted just four games. When Cleveland opens Round 2 on Monday against the Bulls, it will be the Cavs' first game in eight days.
Pau Gasol has experience with heavy workloads. He went to the Finals with the Lakers three years in a row from 2008-10, while playing in the summer for Spain.
"It doesn't look like he's slowing down at all," Gasol said of James. "First series, he's playing at a dominant level and I'm sure his desire is to beat us and move on and move forward and have a chance at another title. I'm sure that's where he's at. We can't rely on him being tired because he has a competitive spirit and is going to go out there and do what he does. Hopefully we prevent him from being as effective as he usually is."
Thibs remembers 2010:
The last time LeBron James was in the playoffs with Cleveland was 2010. The Cavs beat the Bulls in the first round, then lost to Boston with its defense designed by assistant coach Tom Thibodeau.
Asked what he did to slow down James in 2010, Thibodeau scoffed at the idea.
"Yeah, we slowed him down. I think he had 45 (points)," Thibodeau said. "He's a great player. The only thing you can do with him is you can try to make him work for his points. You can't really give him a steady diet of anything.
"He's so smart. I think he has learned a lot from all his experiences. Very, very bright guy. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of his team, your team. He's a great all-around player. There's not anything that he doesn't do great. When you have a guy like that, you have to make sure your team is locked into him and you have to make him work."
Actually, the most points James scored in the 2010 Cavs-Celtics series was 38 points. In the elimination game, James finished with 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists and 9 turnovers.
Let's cut hair:
Pau Gasol sported a shorter haircut on Sunday. When he met with reporters, Gasol was asked if he shares any championship wisdom with his teammates. Gasol and Nazr Mohammed are the two Bulls who have won NBA titles.
"Let's all get new haircuts, that's what I tell them," Gasol joked. "I try to keep guys locked in. Understand the importance of each moment, each game and try to get them on that edge so we're all ready to play so we can take advantage of the opportunity and challenge we have in front of us."