On the Knucklehead podcast, Aaron Gordon was asked who the toughest player was to guard against, and surprisingly he claimed it be Jimmy Butler. Many would expect it to be, LeBron James, Kevin Durant or even Anthony Davis, but the 2023 Championship winner named Butler, who his team faced in the finals last year.
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The Denver Nuggets’ run to the championship last season depended on various factors. A major contributor amongst them was the defensive actions of Aaron Gordon, who was tasked to guard the opposition’s best players on the court.
To clinch the title, the Nuggets had to go up against Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns‘ Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Following that, they faced Kevin Durant‘s Phoenix Suns and LeBron James‘ Los Angeles Lakers before earning the NBA Finals victory against Jimmy Butler‘s Miami Heat. Looking back on that stint, Gordon mentioned,
“I was just trying to hold my own man, guard my yard. Ant Edwards, Karl Towns, Bron, KD, and Jimmy Butler, and then just trying to do whatever I can to make their life difficult.”
Upon being asked who amongst these names he found the toughest to guard, Aaron put the limelight on Butler, stating,
“I feel like Jimmy(Jimmy Butler) really”.
Gordon highlighted the attributes of the Heat power forward while discussing the reasons behind it.
“I think he was a little bit out of gas towards the end but I think just his ability to kind of just work the game and stay poised.”
The 6’8 Nuggets man further mentioned, “He has a little bit of everything. He can shoot the middle, he’s always moving on offense, he’s cutting. He does all that little intangible things too”.
After Jimmy, the California-born pointed out Edwards of the Timberwolves as the next one on the list. The Nuggets star showcased respect toward the youngster as he spoke highly of him publicly. “Then after that will probably be Ant Edwards. Young boy is nice,” Aaron highlighted while talking about the on-court threat of Anthony.
Aaron Gordon played a key role in the Denver Nuggets victory
The power forward’s development in the NBA in recent years has been impressive. The latest campaigns have brought out a more polished version of him as the Denver franchise showcased faith in him. Aaron paid them back with his endeavours on the court as the previous season witnessed numerous All-Star caliber performances from his end.
In the post-season last time around, Gordon averaged 13.3-6-2.6 in 20 matches to help his organization win a championship. While making a name for himself with his defensive ability, he remained a constant threat as an attacker. Shooting 51.8% from the field in the playoffs, Aaron handled the responsibility impeccably on both ends of the floor.
Thus, his statements about the biggest stars of the league carried a certain amount of volume. Amidst the challenges, the Nuggets supporters would be looking forward to another such run. With the franchise setting its eyes on a possible dynasty, they certainly need Gordon to repeat his feats several times in the coming years.
