Jimmy Butler on Isaiah Thomas: 'I look forward to that matchup'

The Chicago Bulls are underdogs in their first-round series against the Boston Celtics, but that doesn't mean that Bulls' top dog Jimmy Butler isn't welcoming the chance to face off against Boston's sparkplug, Isaiah Thomas.

"I look forward to that matchup," Butler said Friday, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "Especially what he's done this year for that team. I know that it's going to come at some point in time. I don't know when, but I'm going to make it tough for him. For anybody that I'm guarding ... I'm going to get beat at times, I'm going to need guys to be there ... But I look forward to that challenge. I want that."

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When asked how long he could stay with Thomas defensively, Butler replied: "The whole game."

Of course, Butler won't be checking Thomas on every possession, and will see much of the matchup off switches. But if Chicago has any hope of knocking off Boston, Butler will need to be relied on heavily on both ends.

Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg hinted that they have a strategy to try and slow Thomas.

"We do have a plan on how we are going to try to slow him down a little bit, which is obviously difficult to do with the (No. 3 scorer) in the NBA this year," Hoiberg said.

While Thomas' height has been described as a liability for himself defensively, his agility as an offensive player is the main reason only Russell Westbrook and James Harden scored more points in the NBA this season.

That's why Butler knows it's dumb to bite on height comments.

"He's been that height for a long time now, so he's mastered it," Butler said. "He's really good at what he does. Coming off, pulling up, shooting shots. Getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line. 5-8, 6-8, whatever it is, the guy knows how to put the ball in the basket."