Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler vs. Bojan Bogdanovic
The Miami Heat made a big splash this summer when they added star player Jimmy Butler in free agency. Butler has been somewhat volatile throughout his NBA career and is sometimes accused of being a less than desirable teammate, but there’s no denying that he is a heck of a basketball player.
As such, he’ll likely have the upper hand against many of the opponents he faces, and the Jazz are no exception. However, his bout against Utah small forward Bojan Bogdanovic will be a compelling matchup to keep an eye on. Butler is known for his prowess on both ends of the floor, but Bogey is also a guy who can get hot and torch the nets no matter who is covering him. It will be hard for Bogdanovic to keep up, but if he’s able to get the edge over Butler, it could make all the difference for Utah.
He’s done so a couple of times in his career in head-to-head matchups versus Butler, most recently in their final meeting as members of the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively. These two have seen a lot of each other throughout their NBA careers, and that familiarity will likely breed some degree of contempt making this an even more exciting individual battle to watch.
But, let’s also be honest, more than anything, Butler is easily the most exciting player on the Heat roster, and considering that he and Bogey will principally match up against one another (though Butler will very likely spend time covering Donovan Mitchell, and likewise the Jazz will look to throw other defenders at Butler as well), his star prowess alone will make this the best matchup of any.
Butler has had his way with the Jazz of late as he’s won seven straight contests against them, many of which have seen him put up big-time performances. But ideally with the help of Bogdanovic and several other key Jazz teammates, Utah will be able to flip the script on him significantly and finally get the better of Butler this season.
Scheduled Contests:
- 12/23 Utah at Miami
- 2/12 Miami at Utah