Once considered a future NBA star, Emoni Bates regressed late in high school and into college, but still had clear talent. This is why he was selected in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
At 6-foot-8 — though with a very slender build — Bates is quite literally an offensive mismatch. He plays like a guard, but has the height of a forward with an elevated release point on his jumper. As such, he projects to be a valuable scorer at the NBA level, but needs to round out his game.
Although his minutes with the Cavaliers this season have been very limited, Bates has the chance to make his G League debut earlier this week. He made a big splash with the Charge, producing 29 points on 10-of-16 from the floor, including 7-of-12 for deep. The scoring upside was abundantly clear, like is always has been.
For Bates, the other skillsets outside of scoring and offense overall will be what earns him time at the NBA level. He will need to learn to be a better distributor of the ball without being turnover prone. Furthermore, his thin frame puts him at a disadvantage defensively, which will need to be overcome.
Regardless, the scoring acumen of Bates is already starting to translate professionally. His early G League minutes have been extremely promising as he shines on that stage.
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