Rod Walker: Mr. Long Shot, Pelicans’ undrafted rookie John Butler, tries to stand out

Regardless of what the final stat sheet says Saturday night, John Butler will stand out for the New Orleans Pelicans in their Summer League opener in Vegas.

After all, it’s pretty hard to go unnoticed when you’re 7-foot-1 and weigh only 174 pounds.

If you’re like me, you probably did a double take when you read that.

Yes, he really is listed at just ONE SEVENTY FOUR.

But don’t let the 19-year-old undrafted rookie’s size (or lack thereof) fool you, says one of his former Florida State teammates.

Harrison Prieto just finished his career at Florida State and played one season with Butler. Prieto is from Mandeville and grew up a Pelicans fan, which explains why he says “we” when he talks about the Pelicans. For Prieto, who played his high school ball at St. Paul’s High, seeing his college teammate get picked up by his favorite NBA team means everything.

“The kid is a hard worker and a great teammate,” Prieto said. “With me being in a leadership position on the team, there was never a moment when he was questioning things. He took well to coaching and is unbelievably talented.

“I was shocked nobody took a chance on him in the late second round. But I’m glad the Pelicans signed him. If we can get him on a two-way contract, as a Pelicans fan, I’m thinking, ‘Please get him.’ ”

Butler’s best trait is his versatility. He averaged just 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds, but he led Florida State in both blocked shots and 3-pointers made as a freshman. He shot 39.9% from beyond the arc and knocked down a career-best four 3-pointers in a win against Notre Dame.

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“Whenever you see a 7-1 guy nailing a 3, all of those moments are special,” Prieto said. “He can dribble well and block shots, so I really think he’s got it all going for him.”

The Pelicans roster is already stacked. But every team in the league covets a great shooter. It’s why this Summer League action, beginning with Saturday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers, is so important for a guy like Butler.

“You can tell he’s very young,” said Jarron Collins, the Pelicans Summer League coach. “He hasn’t filled out, does not have any baby fat. But he has a very unique skill set. His ability to shoot at that size, space the floor, handle it, it adds a lot of versatility to our lineup.”

Basketball is in him. His 6-3 mom played at the University of South Carolina. His 6-5 dad was his high school coach. It also helped that Butler had a 6-inch growth spurt between the sixth and seventh grades. Now he’s looking to put that size and shooting touch on display under the bright lights in Vegas.

His college teammate will be watching and rooting for him, just like he has been since the two of them met when Butler arrived on campus. One of the earlier memories is one day a group of friends were hanging out at Prieto’s house. Everyone was wearing a jersey except Butler. So Prieto went to his room, grabbed an old Anthony Davis jersey and gave it to Butler.

“I never got it back,” Prieto recalls. “So I guess that was foreshadowing (that he’d become a Pelican).”

Time will tell.

Saturday night, the journey begins for the tall, lanky kid from South Carolina. It’s his chance to make a first impression in Vegas much like the first one he made in Tallahassee.

“I remember thinking, well we recruited him as a wing, so he better be able to handle the ball and shoot the ball,” Prieto said. “And he can.”