Post by jhb on May 12, 2021 8:26:54 GMT -5
Jimmy Butler
SF
6'7"
222
22
Marquette
Butler is a veteran college player who scouts rave about for his intangibles. They say he's one of the most unselfish team players in the draft and he gets high marks for his hustle, work ethic, and mentality. Scouts say he's one of the highest floor players in the draft simply because he is a good athlete, he does all the little things well, and he will never lack for hustle on either end of the court. He has obviously put in the work on his body, as he's a strong player and he combines that will above average leaping ability and quickness.
Offensively, Butler is a team player. He isn't ball dominant, but when he has the ball in his hands he makes smart decisions with it. He had a great assist to turnover ratio in college and found shots for his teammates without forcing silly mistakes. He is adept at getting himself open in the lane with the backdoor cut and he hunted for contact once he was attacking the basket. He got to the free throw line frequently and converted at almost 80% when he got there. His jumper is solid and despite not pulling the trigger from deep often in college, he can certainly evolve into a catch and shoot option from distance at the next level with his mechanics. While he might not qualify as a scoring threat on every possession, he'll very quietly be a cog in an elite offense because he uses his possessions efficiently, putting up a slash line of .508/.383/.773 for his college career.
Defensively, Butler will likely challenge to be an All-TMBSL level defender sooner rather than later. His athleticism and length are good enough that he can stay in front of any defender on the perimeter, and he even showed the ability to play up as a combo forward and defend in the post at times in college. He's a very versatile defender and can defend almost anyone on the court in a switching scenario. He showed tremendous discipline in playing within Buzz Williams system, but scouts believe if given more opportunity, he has very good instincts for creating havoc in the passing lanes and even making some plays as a help-side defender in the paint when given the opportunity. His hustle also shows up on the boards where he will certainly not be a liability.
Butler might not have the upside of some of his peers with 3 years of college experience under his belt but he will definitely be capable of helping any team that takes him right away.