Seth's Draft House
Getting you ready for the 2017 NBA Draft
Jun 7
Finch Returns to Dish on NBA Prospects
by Seth Davis
Will Lonzo Ball’s father hurt his draft stock? Is Harry Giles worth the risk? Here’s what NBA scouts
really think about this year’s players.
Good news, Hoopheads. Finch is in the House.
Not just any house, mind you. He is in Seth’s Draft House on Medium. Over the next two weeks, this site will serve as a hub for first-rate content designed to prepare you for the 2017 NBA Draft. Our plan is to roll out new articles every day between now and June 22nd. There’s no one we would rather hear from off the bat than Finch. Unlike you and me, he is always preparing for the draft. He don’t need no stinkin’ websites.
Finch, as many of you know, is an amalgam of five NBA scouts whom I interviewed in recent days. Just as I have over the last several years, I asked these scouts to give me their unvarmnished opinions of 50 draftable players. In return, I granted them total anonymity and melded their comments into a single character whom I call Finch. I took the name from my erstwhile Sports Illustrated colleague Alex Wolff, who applied it to an anonymous NBA scout for a profile in the magazine many years ago. Alex, being of the highbrow, literary type, chose the name Finch because that was the character Scout’s surname in To Kill A Mockingbird. Brilliant, no?
I found Finch to be in a good but measured mood. He loves his job and loves the grind, but while this is a deep draft, there is a dearth of impact players available at the top. I’m not sure Finch believes there are more than one or two All-Stars on the board, but there are plenty of guys who can help their teams win. I also sensed a hint of despair at the heavy guesswork involved in this exercise, given that most of these players are so young and therefore have not given Finch much evidence upon which to base his opinions.
Still, Finch is nothing if not opinionated. So as we begin our fortnight of fun and officially open our doors to Seth’s Draft House, allow Finch to welcome you inside with his opinions about…..
Bam Adebayo, 6’10” freshman forward, Kentucky
“I like his power and athleticism. I don’t know if he has the skill set to be a four, but he’ll be great at defending the pick-and-roll. No reason he shouldn’t be a 12-year pro. In college he dunked every time, but that’s not feasible in the NBA. I was impressed with his free throw stroke. He has good hands and the makings of a really good right hand jump hook. He could be a more skilled Tristan Thompson.”
Finch definitely saw this play from Allen.
Jarrett Allen, 6’10” freshman forward, Texas
“Great athlete, great size. Definitely needs to build strength. There’s some concern about how badly he wants to be a basketball player. Sometimes he looks a little too relaxed on the court. He just seems aloof. I’m afraid he’s going to show up one day and say he’s going to work on computers the rest of his life. Then again, I watched him get his ass kicked by Johnathan Motley, but the next game he played great. So that’s a good sign.”
Ike Anigbogu, 6’10” freshman center, UCLA
“Great frame, great size, but very raw as far as his post play and footwork. He’s nowhere near ready to compete on an NBA floor. He’s only 18. He has a chance to be a DeAndre Jordan type. He’s so new to the game, he doesn’t understand a lot of the nuances, but he’s very powerful and can block shots. He had a meniscus tear and some knee issues so he’s not working out for anybody. I thought he was one of the best interviews we did in Chicago. Soft spoken, smart kid.”
O.G. Anunoby, 6’7” sophomore forward, Indiana
“Not a huge fan, period. Obviously the injury is the biggest negative thing, but everybody thinks he’s going to be this big wing. He’s not going to be a three man, he’s a four man. I don’t think he has a great feel. The whole question will be can he make enough perimeter shots. He’s had some brilliant stretches on defense where he can defend multiple positions. He’s a bright kid, but a little quiet.”
Dwayne Bacon, 6’6” sophomore guard, Florida State
“There’s some question about his ability to defend. He’s a good shooter, but you want some more consistency there. Excellent midrange game, but not elusive off the dribble. Plays bully ball. He’s a big wing. Not a great ballhandler, not a great passer. He raised his percentage as a sophomore, but can he make those shots in our league? He doesn’t defend at a high level. It’s more of a mindset than anything. His body language and his motor are not good at times.”
Lonzo Ball, 6’6” freshman guard, UCLA
“I couldn’t care less about the dad. This isn’t Little League. Everybody loves playing with players who get them the ball where they like it and control the pace of the game. He’s stronger than people give him credit for. I’m not really sure how he’s going to get a pullup jumper off the dribble. The only way he can get that jumper off is with a stepback. Obviously, he’s a really good passer. What makes him so good is his mind. If he’s the best player on your team, you’re in trouble, but if he’s the second or third best, you can win big with him. He’s going to have a hard time guarding point guards, but his defensive instincts off the ball are unbelievable.”
Jordan Bell, 6’8” junior forward, Oregon
“He’s one of my favorite players in the draft. He could be a switch monster because of his ability to defend multiple positions. He’s probably a better shooter than we saw at Oregon. He’s a hot name. He’s undersized four, but he’s just such a ridiculous athlete.”
Chris Boucher, 6’10” senior forward, Oregon
“He’s just too thin. I’m not sure he has good enough of an NBA range as a three-point shooter. People talk about him as a three-point shooter, but he shot like 34. 35 percent. I just think in our league the powerful players will overwhelm him. I don’t think he’ll end up being an NBA player. He’s 24 years old. I think guys will look at that and say there’s not much growth left. He’s not a great worker when it comes to strength and conditioning, which is scary with his body type.”
Tony Bradley, 6’10” freshman center, North Carolina
“Should have gone back to North Carolina. He’s very young, emotionally and as a player. A good kid but I don’t think he understands what it’s all about right now. I love his length. I think he’s a little more skilled offensively than you realize. Not quite athletic enough to be a four, little too small to be a five. He doesn’t have any bounce or explosion around the rim. He could struggle in pick-and-roll coverage because he’s a little heavy-footed. If you’re taking him end of the first round, and he becomes your backup center, then he’s a good pick.”
Isaiah Briscoe: “The Rammer.”
Isaiah Briscoe, 6’3” sophomore guard, Kentucky
“The dude can pass. He’s strong and can guard multiple positions, but I think most teams are weary of him because they don’t know what his role would be offensively. He’s not a great passer but he’s adequate. I don’t think he gets drafted. He’ll get into summer league and get into a camp. It will be a significant amount of time before he can make an NBA three. I don’t think he’s a point guard. He’s what you call a rammer. Just puts his head down and rams his way to the basket. He won’t do that in the pros.”
Dillon Brooks, 6’6” junior forward, Oregon
“Great four man that can score in a variety of ways. Average or below average athlete for NBA wing, which makes you wonder if he will be able to get his shot off. In the NBA, you’ve got to make a play when the shot clock is winding down. He doesn’t have the best looking shot in the world, but he makes them. If he doesn’t play with energy all the time, he’s an average player. Against North Carolina in the Final Four, he was very flat. He’s got some P.J. Tucker in him. He’s got balls, he makes big shots.”
Thomas Bryant, 6’10” sophomore center, Indiana
“I saw him in a group workout and his body looked better. Biggest thing with him is he’s not overly athletic. But he can make shots. I’m not a huge believer. He’s going to struggle defensively. There’s some attractiveness in his standing reach and his competitiveness. I’m not sure he can rebound or defend pick and roll well enough to stay on the floor. Too perimeter oriented for a post guy. Not a great athlete, but he’s a decent north-south runner. He can be a bit emotional.”
John Collins, 6’9” freshman forward, Wake Forest
“Great finisher at the rim. Better shooter than he showed at Wake. Defensively is where he really struggles. I didn’t see a lot of effort from him on that end. But he’ll be able to score at an elite level in our league. Can be a little silly at times. Has to become more focused, more mature. He can’t dribble and he can’t pass, but you cannot leave him alone. He’s just so damn efficient. He doesn’t pass at all but he shoots 65 percent from the field. He had a hard time staying out of foul trouble.”
Zach Collins, 6’11” freshman center, Gonzaga
“It seems everyone is really high on him right now. He’s a guy with size and athleticism and he showed some rim protection. He doesn’t have ideal frame and length you’d like for a dominating big man. He’s going to have to be high level skilled. He’s probably helped by the fact that he didn’t play a ton and finished with such a flourish. Got a little nasty streak to him. He’s probably back of the lottery. He’ll be able to shoot corner threes.”
Tyler Dorsey, 6’4” sophomore guard, Oregon
“He really impressed me at the combine. He’s quicker and has better size than I thought. There’s always a place for shooters in this league. A little too small for a two guard but maybe he can move over and play the point some. He made big shots. He’s a little slight for me. I like him as an early second rounder. He’s got a nice little in between game. Professional scorer, not a point guard at all. He doesn’t rebound, doesn’t fill up a box score. Average defender. You hope he’s Eddie House. Bring him in for five minutes and let him get buckets.”
P.J. Dozier, 6’6” sophomore guard, South Carolina
“I want to like him but he’s erratic. You love his size, solid athlete, been gaining strength. Being at South Carolina has helped him improve as a defensive player. He really struggles to finish at the basket. He’s a decent athlete so that’s probably a toughness issue more than anything else. He seems to be more worried about contact than finishing the shot. I worry about him physically because the NBA is much more physical than the college game. His shot is broken. I don’t think he can make free throws.”