The Cleveland Cavaliers may not have had a high first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but they still may have gotten one of the most talented players in this class.
Emoni Bates fell to the Cavs in the second round and Cleveland's front office chose to take a chance on the once five-star recruit. He's currently on a two-way contract with the team meaning he splits his time with the NBA roster and the G League.
Bates was back in action on Friday night with the Cavaliers' G League affiliate Cleveland Charge. He scored 29 points in his debut performance with the team and followed that up with an identical scoring display on Friday night against the Motor City Cruise.
Emoni finished the night with 29 points while shooting 36% (8-22) from the field and 50% (5-10) from behind the arc. Scoring has always been his biggest strength and that was certainly on display here.
A number of these shots were impressive one-on-one, isolation, create-your-own shot-type plays showing his true potential as an NBA player.
One area that Bates wasn't necessarily known for, but was in full force against the Cruise, was his defense. Emoni finished the game with four blocks and two steals in his 35 minutes.
Check out Bates' complete game highlights here:
Unfortunately, this effort wasn't enough for the Charge as they fell 101-92 against Motor City. Cleveland is now an even 3-3 on the season.
The forward position continues to be one that is thin for the Cavaliers. Bates could quickly find himself in a similar situation as fellow two-way contract colleague Craig Porter Jr. if he continues to put together performances such as this one.
More must-reads: