If Caron Butler really did have to take on Flip Saunders 1-v-1, he'd have a plan.
"I know he can’t go left, so I’m going to sit on his right. But at 54, he probably would get a bucket or two, but he ain’t going to be out there doing what he wants to do. We understood where he was coming from when he made the statement. But he jumped out there on that one."
A smile accompanied the reference to Saunders's assertion that he could've played better defense than the Wizards did against Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but Butler said it wasn't a joking matter.
"I’m a man first," he said. "I got pride. I take pride in everything I do, particularly in the court. To see that, just to see him, and we exchanged words. He told me that he expected more from me, in particular, some of the things he wanted. I just said, don’t worry about it. I got the message. I’m pretty sure everybody else did too, but hone in on it and try to set the standard in practice."
Saunders singled out Butler after practice on Thursday, and Butler seemed to accept that if the Wizards are to improve defensively, he's the guy that can set the pace - it just might help him figure out how to fix his own struggles.
"Some of the things that I need to get back to, not second guessing yourself out there at all," Butler said when asked what Saunders had talked about with him. "Don’t try to fit in, just be you out there. I think that’s what’s been going on a majority of the time, just trying to fit in and do the right thing. Obviously, instead of just playing your game, just being free out there, not thinking too much. That’s when I’m at my best, and I had a good practice today."
It's been said before that Butler had perhaps the most challenging role coming into the year as he stepped back into the shadow of Gilbert Arenas after stepping up with Arenas injured most of the last two seasons. It's affected the consistency his play offensively (how about 14-25-13-24-10 points the last five games) and defensively, and the only way to fight back is through effort.
"i do a combination of a lot of things," said Butler. "Gilbert’s back, he’s scoring, doing a lot of good things out there, Antawn [Jamison] as well. It makes my job easy. I get a chance to roam and do a lot of things out there so I just gotta stay active, continue to stay active and do a lot of things, fill up the stat sheet and be everywhere out there."
"There’s definitely a lot of room for improvement," he said of his defensive play. "I’m getting down into the defensive schemes of thigns. I've just got to be more energetic, keep your hands up and out. Watching a little film and some of my instincts that I have, I just want to jump into passing lanes, and I get caught with my hands down a lot, and I’m used to always having my hands moving, and always getting deflections and stuff like that. Just little stuff that can help me out tremendously in protecting the middle."
Butler's leadership throughout the Wizards' struggles this season has never wavered. He just needs to be similarly solid on the floor.
"When it all goes back, it's going to fall back on us," said Butler of he, Arenas and Jamison. "We’re the captains, the leaders of the ball club, we got great personnel. We got guys back healthy. We got to lead our ball club to wins. That’s the truth of the matter. We’ve got to get it done."
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