"Emoni Bates is the steal of the NBA Draft" - Former All-Star lauds Eastern Michigan prospect for his diverse scoring skillset
Former All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas reckons Emoni Bates could be the steal of the 2023 draft classh.
Bates was the 49th pick in the 2023 NBA draft and will play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the upcoming season. He participated in 30 games for East Michigan in his final year of collegiate basketball, averaging 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 40.5% from the field and 33% from the deep.
Despite Emoni Bates getting taken in the late second round, former All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas is expecting big things from him:
"And I don't know what anybody listen, I know a lot of people don't know who the young fella is because he had to go to Memphis, and, then, he had to go to Michigan State," Arenas said.
"This was the man who was beating Chet (Holmgren) for player of the year. Gatorade player of the year. When Chet was a senior, he was a junior, got that award and then said, f*** it, I'm just going to go straight to college."
He continued:
"So he didn't play a senior year. He went straight to college.I don't care what he did. I know what he can do. He can put that thing and give you that bucket, and he can heat up quickest shit. Listen, I know two players, maybe three, that was better than him, naturally, in this year's draft."
The Cleveland Cavaliers now have another wing to add to their rotation. They look to continue building towards NBA championship contention following the addition of Donovan Mitchell during the 2022 offseason.
JJ Redick doesn't rate LeBron James' 2016 championship win with Emoni Bates' Cavaliers as his best
According to former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick, LeBron James' championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers - which required a herculean comeback against the Golden State Warriors - was not one of his better championship runs. Instead, Redick reckons 2013 was James' best championship year.
Here's how he put it on "First Take:"
"It's 2013 for me. ... 66-16 that season, having to beat the San Antonio Spurs and that dynasty, coming back," Redick said. "And also the roster construction that year, in particular with Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, who had some key playoff moments for them.
"They surrounded those three guys with really good shooters and really good role players. ... They stopped playing the traditional big lineup. They put Chris Bosh at the five, they created more space for everyone and they called it pace and space."
The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't won a championship since James left the franchise for the second time to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, Cleveland has done a significant rebuilding job and now boasts young stars like Darius Garland and Evan Mobley - and now, adding highly touted Emoni Bates to their rotation.
If Gilbert Arenas is to be believed, Emoni Bates could be the next young star to step onto the Cavaliers' court and provide some offensive upside for a team that fell short in their bid to get to the Eastern Conference Finals this past season.