Late-Round Looks: John Butler

Though the Oklahoma City Thunder conclude their draft haul at Pick No. 34, there’s always value in assessing all areas of the draft board.

Florida State forward John Butler provides uncanny size and archetype for your traditional late-round selection.

In his lone season at Florida State, Butler placed averages of 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in a 19.0-minute palate.

Butler is a special talent based on his measurables. He’s a 7-foot-1, 190-pound forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan. Needless to say, he’s not your typical player at the four spot.

Offensively, Butler found himself most comfortable tapped to a corner operating off-the-catch. From distance, he finished the year 33-of-84 (39.3%) while shooting just 82 two-pointers on the season. Butler did show some glimpses and a playmaker, making the extra pass at the perimeter and dropping the ball into the post. However, his slender frame limited him as a slasher, making his inside game obsolete unless off of cuts or lobs.

Defensively, Butler has mobility uncommon for a seven-footer. Butler excelled in the agility tests at the NBA Combine, ranking in the 64th percentile and 67th percentile in lane agility and the shuttle run tests, respectively. He does a good job as a weak-side shot-blocker to swat shots, but his overall speed also allowed him to get closeout rejections at the perimeter.

Butler is a major project on both sides of the basketball. But you can see why a team may think he’s worth the risk. He has a very quick jumper with speed not typically found in a seven-footer. His ability to cover big chunks of the floor is also a big bright spot moving forward. However, he still needs to make significant strides as a physical threat as he doesn’t show much as a perimeter product as of now.

The Oklahoma City Thunder may find some interest in adding a player such as John Butler. With Aleksej Pokusevski on deck and Top 3 projected pick, Chet Holmgren potentially going at No. 2 – Butler completes the seven-foot trifecta in Bricktown. Due to his raw potential, Butler likely plays the majority of next season in the G League for his prospective team.

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