Nineteen-year-old big man John Butler Jr. legitimately had a perfect game for the New Orleans Pelicans during his final performance at NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas.
He was 9-for-9 from the field, connecting on all six attempts from beyond the arc. The big man added 7 rebounds and finished the game with 25 points. It was a masterful performance from Butler, who played just one season at Florida State before turning pro. While there, he showed why he was such an intriguing prospect.
Four freshmen in college basketball recorded more than 30 blocks and more than 30 3-pointers last season. Three (Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith) heard their names called back-to-back-to-back with the first three picks in the 2021 NBA Draft. The other was Butler, who believe it or not, went undrafted.
