NBA Draft 2021: Final projections of first 30 draft selections
By William Cash
player. 169. . Power Forward. Houston Rockets. J.T. Thor. 24
With already drafting Jaden Springer and Jalen Green with their other first-round picks. Houston continues to look for the highest upside of what is left in this stage of the draft. Thor who is already an excellent defender on-ball and off-ball defender is still a very raw talent.
He is already an excellent shot-blocker with a 7″3″ wingspan but has no offensive game at all. The potential is there though, as Thor’s mechanics are clean, and he has the length and speed to blow by any defender. Again, Thor will be a project, but his upside is there.
23. player. 169. . Shooting Guard. Houston Rockets. Jaden Springer
Springer might not have the highest ceiling, but he is already good enough defensively to be a solid contributor in the NBA. Springer is already a good finisher at the rim and a very methodical decision-maker.
He is not the greatest shooter, but the potential is there, but he does lack speed off the dribble that other top prospects have. While Springer will not be a superstar in the NBA, he has the potential to be a very nice three and D player in the league.
. Point Guard. Los Angeles Lakers. Jared Butler. 22. player. 20
The Lakers desperately need shooting to surround LeBron, and Butler is one of the best players in the draft to do that. Butler shot at a 41% clip from three last year at Baylor and can shoot the ball effortlessly.
He is a decent on-ball defender that plays with high energy and effort. The downside with Butler is his size at being only listed at 6’2″, which will limit him defensively.
However, the Lakers already play good systematic defense and could use the boost Butler would provide beyond the arc.