May 04--CLEVELAND -- If Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler are involved in the highest-profile matchups against Kyrie Irving and LeBron James in the Bulls' second-round matchup against the Cavaliers, it's news to them.
"I don't look into that," Rose said before Monday morning's shootaround at Quicken Loans Arena. "I think it's the media and everybody else that looks into it. For me, it's another playoff game. Bring the same intensity as I did my previous playoff games. We're just trying to play well together."
Added Butler: "If you focus in on one guy on their team, they have a lot of other guys that can hurt you. I think it's a team game for them and us. We have to focus on that team, and not just LeBron."
This is not to say the Bulls don't recognize the greatness of James and Irving. It's more underscoring how much the Bulls respect the Cavaliers, even without the injured Kevin Love and suspended J.R. Smith.
But don't think for a second that respect affects the Bulls' confidence level heading into the much-anticipated matchup.
"We're a good team," Butler said. "If we just play the way we're supposed to play it doesn't matter what team we're going against."
Butler admitted he will have to balance his offensive role with his defensive assignment, which will consume plenty of energy. But similar to his team's overall confidence, Butler isn't fazed by guarding James.
"He really is a talented player in this league, but I don't think that intimidates me---not to the slightest bit," Butler said. "I'm supposed to be the underdog, and I am. Whatever you want to call it. We're both just competitors. We're both NBA players. We both put one sneaker on at a time.
"I'd like to think I'm big and physical as well. It's playoff basketball and it's never just me guarding him anyways. So we'll see what all this matchup stuff is all about. I just know I want to play. I want to help win no matter who I'm guarding. (Monday), it's probably going to be LeBron James."
Rose averaged 22.7 points on 46.3 percent shooting in three games against the Cavaliers this season.
"That's in the past," Rose said. "That's the way I'm thinking. They're going to play me totally different. The intensity is going to be totally different. You don't know what they're going to do on pick-and-roll and isolation.
"The first game is reading each other, seeing what they're going to do offensively and defensively, what matchups they're looking to go at."
Whether Rose and Butler admit it or not, the matchups are going to be great ones.
