NBA SIMS LEAGUE
The 2021 NSL Draft is over and the Houston Rockets walked out with Jared Butler with the 33rd pick. I was originally targeting Sharife Cooper and Brandon Boston. Sharife was my best player available and Boston was a long-term team fit. When both got selected, I went with the next best player available.
Shooting
I'll start with my favorite thing about Butler. He shot 0.416 from three on 6.2 attempts per game. He can shoot both off ball and on ball. He can shoot off the catch, off movement, off the dribble, he can even hit contested shots. He has every shot in his arsenal but the unlimited range ones.
Ball Control
The ball handle is what separates Butler from all the other guards in this draft. He had the best ball handle in the class. He even had the best ball handle in last year's class. Only Leandro Bolmaro came close.
Playmaking
The passing is nice. He's a good pick and roll passer. At Baylor the ball was mostly in Davion Mitchell's hands. This is because Davion's offensive value drops when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. So Butler had to play more off ball. But when he got the chance, he showed he can hit those pocket passes to the roll man as well as hit the open shooters. He's not a combo guard. He's a legit point guard.
Defense
He's a great defender on-ball and off. He's got great lateral quickness. He has high IQ and he plays the passing lanes pretty well. He averaged 2.0 steals per game.
Weaknesses
The only weaknesses I can find with him is (1) he doesn't have a quick first step, (2) he has trouble finishing through contact, and (3) he has no mid-range game.
Why He Fell in the NBA
He was originally projected in the 20s on a lot of draft boards, but he fell all the way down to 40 because medical information came out that he had a heart condition. What people don't realize is that this was something that happened back in 2018. He still had to pass a NBA fitness-to-play protocol where he had to gain clearance from a medical review board. And after that there were issues with his contract agreement. Butler wanted the least amount of years possible so that he could bet on himself and get a higher contract, but the Jazz wanted him on a long term low salary that was more cap friendly. This kept him out of Summer League play.
His NBA Fit
The Utah Jazz recently resigned Mike Conley. There is still backup point guard minutes up for grabs between Butler and Trent Forrest. Forrest played really well in Summer League, but I think the two will still compete in training camp for those minutes. The hope is that he's able to take over in a couple of years when Mike Conley is ready to go.