NBA Draft 2022: Evaulating key prospects after first month of season

Florida State

John Butler – Freshman – Florida State – 7’1, 190 lbs – December 2002

Making his first career start, the lanky freshman showed a little bit of what’s made him an intriguing name in the early part of the season. Even at 7’1, Butler’s best skill right now is his shooting. He’s flashed versatility in that regard off the catch and movement.

Physically, Butler is behind the curve right now, but he has a frame that can fill out. When he does get stronger, he’ll need to play more physical. He shied away from contact against Purdue’s bigs. That tendency has led to some iffy rim protection, but with his length and movement skills, there’s some hope for Butler as a rim protector. That rim-protection becomes more appealing if he’s playing the four, which he ultimately might be best suited for anyway.

Butler is a long-term and unique project right now. His overall feel and strength could improve, but being a good shooter and mover at 7’1 is a great starting base for a prospect. We’ll see how the rest of the season plays out, but he’s certainly not someone I would rule out from being a first-round pick by June

Matthew Cleveland – Freshman – Florida State – 6’7, 200 lbs – August 2002

Cleveland came to Florida State as a five-star wing, immediately generating NBA draft buzz given the recent success of wings in Tallahassee. Cleveland has looked uninspiring so far. He finished 3-10 from the field against Purdue, struggling to generate rim pressure and get easy looks. Cleveland has been a non-shooter this year, making just one of his 13 attempts from deep with clunky mechanics. The pull-up jumper looks better than the catch-and-shoot right now

Cleveland moves well and has some semblance of how to play, but his lack of impact on the game right now is fairly alarming. There’s potential for a two-way wing, but he seems to be a bit behind the curve and likely needs another year in school.