Jimmy Butler defensive about his defense

Tonight against the Mavericks, it could be Monta Ellis, a little bit of Chandler Parsons.

Tuesday in Charlotte, some Lance Stephenson.

Then back home on Saturday, maybe the biggest challenge of the season in Golden State’s Klay Thompson.

That’s the week for Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, and that’s the role he’s been given on his team: Stop the threat on the opposing team.

Just don’t ask him about individual matchups, because as Butler explained it after the Tuesday shootaround, while the names on the back of the jersey are different, his defensive goals are the same.

“I guard everybody the same,’’ Butler said. “I don’t want anybody ever scoring a bucket on me. Not saying it’s not going to happen.

“Everybody in this league is an NBA player. So you know, you sleep on somebody and they give you 30, then the media is going to rip you a part. So don’t let anybody score. That’s the way I look at it.’’

And while his praises as an all-around player have been well documented the last few weeks, defensive stopper is what he seems to take the most pride in. Then again, he feels like he’s a small piece in that machine.

“I just think that I’ve got to guard multiple-positions,’’ Butler said. “That’s what I take pride in to tell you the truth. And more than anything, it’s not just me, like I always say. It’s always four other guys that are helping me guard, and sometimes I’m beat and I get the credit for, ‘Oh, he stopped [Brooklyn’s] Joe Johnson from making that shot,’ or ‘He stopped whoever that was on that shot,’ but it’s never the case. It’s always all of us.’’