Atlanta Hawks vs. Chicago Bulls: Matchup To Watch

The Atlanta Hawks will look to sweep the season series against the Chicago Bulls tonight. Can Taurean Prince help keep Jimmy Butler in check?

The Atlanta Hawks have won back-to-back games after a seven-game losing streak had fans wondering if they’d fall out of the playoff race. Those wins came against the lowly Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. Nevertheless, they were still wins.

Instead of facing a situation where they could actually fall out of the playoff race, the Hawks could clinch a berth in the postseason as early as Sunday. Assuming the Detroit Pistons lose Friday and Atlanta defeats the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.

That’s been a feat the Hawks have been able to accomplish all season. Atlanta boasts a 3-0 record against the Bulls this season. Despite that record, and Chicago’s disappointing 36-39 overall record, they are a formidable opponent.

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Why? You may ask. They usually have the best player on the floor. That player is Jimmy Butler. Butler is having the best season of his career and is clearly a budding superstar. Butler was named as a starter on the Eastern Conference All-Star team and was highly sought after at the NBA Trade Deadline.

The Boston Celtics and even the Hawks had their eye on Butler. In the end, Chicago decided to hold onto him. Perhaps those trade discussions will resurface next summer. For now, the Hawks have to focus on slowing down Butler.

The last time this two teams played Butler exploded for 40 points on 13-for-22 shooting, 4-for-8 from three-point range, and 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Atlanta was still victorious, but they had no answer for Butler.

For the season, Butler is averaging 23.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on 45 percent shooting and 34.8 percent from three-point range. He does most of his work in the paint, in the mid-range, and at the free-throw line.

Butler gets to the free-throw line 9 times per game. That’s a career high mark for him. When he gets to the line, he usually doesn’t miss. Butler is shooting 86.1 percent from the free-throw line this season. That’s also a career high, along with his career high 26.4 percent usage rate. Did I mention this has been the best season of Butler’s career?

Jimmy Butler is the Chicago Bulls. Hold him down and you’re likely going to win the game.

Who will be asked to guard Butler tonight? It might be rookie Taurean Prince. At this moment, Thabo Sefolosha is still not expected to play due to a lingering groin injury. Prince has been starting in his place and is already showing off his defensive promise. Unless Mike Budenholzer decides to insert Kent Bazemore back into the starting lineup in place of him, Prince will be tasked with defending Chicago’s best offensive player.

Prince can handle himself against wings of Butler’s size and scoring proficiency. Prince is strong, quick, has good instincts, and has the size to bother Butler. He’s still just a rookie, so Butler’s years of experience are in his favor, but don’t count Prince out.

In early March, Prince spoke to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his defense.

"“I’m feeling really confident, but that’s due to the coaching staff and my teammates really believing in me and me just flying around trying to be the best active player, the best defensive player, on the floor,” Prince said. “… I feel like I’m a great defender or I can be a great defender. I’m only going to get better.”"

Prince has also turned up his offensive output lately. In his last ten games, Prince is averaging 11 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 41.9 percent shooting. His three-point percentage for the season is up to 32.9 percent. As he continues to develop, one would hope that his three-point stroke improves. With his defensive upside he just needs to be a league average three-point shooter to have All-Star potential.

Prince won’t be the only player guarding Butler. One would imagine that Kent Bazemore, Tim Hardaway Jr., and perhaps even Ersan Ilyasova will get minutes checking him. Prince will likely get the lion’s share of the burden.

Whoever is guarding Butler has their work cut out for them. He’s an absolute beast, and when he’s attacking the rim and getting to the foul line he can look unstoppable. That being said, there isn’t much talent around him.

Dwyane Wade is still injured and the team is starting Rajon Rondo, and Paul Zipser alongside him. Can Butler carry them all by himself? We’ll have to see. This is an important game for both teams. The Hawks will be without their star.

Next: Potential First Round Playoff Opponents

Chicago is relying on theirs to pull them through.

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