"I just don't see the value he brings." Anonymous NBA scouts weigh in on top draft prospects. (Part One.)

Good news, everyone. Finch is back.

Good news, Substack Family. It’s NBA draft week, and you know what that means.

Finch is back.

I’m sure most of you know exactly who Finch is, but for the uninitiated, I shall explain. Over the last week, I spoke with five NBA scouts and asked for their assessments of 50 players who are eligible to be drafted. I granted the scouts anonymity so they could give me their unvarnished opinions. From there, I selected snippets of those conversations so I could present them as if they came from a single character named Finch. That name was the brain child of my former Sports Illustrated colleague Alex Wolff, who chose it in honor of Scout Finch, the protagonist in “To Kill A Mockingbird,” the greatest novel ever written.

Though it is difficult, if not impossible, to get a complete consensus when it comes to evaluating draft prospects, the reports below are a fair reflection of how my scouts felt as a group. All the players bring something to the table – that’s why they’re on this list – so I probed my guys for deficiencies that could hurt their draft position or compromise their career down the line. If these assessments seem a bit harsh, that’s on me, not Finch.

It has been a long road to the draft for my good friend Finch. He has spent the last year trudging through airports, hustling to make connections, driving around in rental cars, grabbing food on the fly, sleeping in moderately priced hotels, and watching lots and lots of basketball. Scouting is more art than science, but Finch thinks of himself as a modern-day Michelangelo.

Here, then, is part one of Finch’s takes on the top prospects in the 2024 NBA draft. I will post part two tomorrow. Enjoy.

Trey Alexander, 6-5 junior guard, Creighton

“He’s okay. He’s a limited athlete who shoots the ball a little bit. He’s a small wing that needs to become a better shooter. I wish he could play point guard but he’s never