NBA Draft 2021: 6 selections from the second round with most potential
While the first round of the NBA Draft typically garners most of the attention, and obviously the top-notch players, there has been a handful of second-round picks throughout the years. This year was no exception with a variety of talented players slipping for various reasons. I project all these players as rotational players, and even some as low-end starters.
Here are my six favorite second-round draft picks.
No. 40 Utah Jazz: Jared Butler, Guard, Baylor
Concerns about Butler’s health are what sunk his draft stock to the second round. He has a pre-existing heart condition that prevented him from joining the NBA last season. He was cleared this year to play by the NBA, but teams were clearly still wary of the issue, hence why he fell.
If he’s fully healthy, Butler is one of the best 20 prospects in this class. Butler isn’t an elite athlete but made up for it with a creative handle, and some impressive shot-making. Butler drained shots off the bounce, catch and move. He diced defenders all season, eventually leading Baylor to a National Championship. His ability to play both on and off the ball should blend with Utah who already has a crowded and diverse backcourt in Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Jordan Clarkson.
Butler is also a very good defender. He’s disciplined, moves his feet well, and his sturdy build allows him to wall off defenders. Clarkson and Conley aren’t great defenders at this stage, so Butler can add to that group on the defensive end. Clarkson and Mitchell are under contract for a few years and Conley could potentially sign with Utah, but I can easily see Butler playing his way into the rotation.
Truthfully, no one knows how severe Butler’s condition is and what his NBA future looks like. It was totally plausible he would go undrafted. But if healthy, Butler is a clear NBA player and a potential starter down the line. It was a risk taking him at No. 40, but there’s a ton of pathways for this pick to pay huge dividends.