Emoni Bates

Draft Notes

Emoni Bates was once considered a generational type of prospect and widely considered the top prospect in his class but his progression as a prospect has slowed and his ceiling appears to be lower than what we originally thought. He’s still a high level talent but not a sure-fire star.

After a really rough freshman season at Memphis Bates has transferred to Eastern Michigan where he’ll look to shake off the bad start to his college career and get his game back on track.

Emoni specializes at scoring the ball. He’s very capable of getting his own shot from the perimeter but doesn’t have great blow by speed or explosiveness into the lane. This can lead to inefficient shooting numbers and settling for outside shots.

His lack of overall athleticism and his lack of length (he has a negative wingspan) are major concerns as he progresses to the next level of play.

Bates is a really good ball handler and is basically a 6-8 guard with a scorer’s mentality.

Although he’s not the most powerful athlete and is still very skinny, he’s got wiry strength and takes it hard to the rim. He’s a competitor who seems to work hard and push to be the best he can be.

Comparisons

• Brandon Boston

Draft Projection

late first to mid second round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

2023 Small Forwards

1. Brandon Miller – 6-8 – Alabama
2. Cam Whitmore – 6-7 – Villanova
3. Gradey Dick – 6-7 – Kansas
4. Rayan Rupert – 6-7 – France
5. Maxwell Lewis – 6-7 – Pepperdine
6. Dariq Whitehead – 6-5 – Duke
7. Leonard Miller – 6-10 – Canada
8. Bilal Coulibaly – 6-6 – France
9. Colby Jones – 6-6 – Xavier
10. Jordan Walsh – 6-7 – Arkansas
11. Julian Phillips – 6-7 – Tennessee
12. Jalen Wilson – 6-8 – Kansas
13. Jaime Jaquez Jr. – 6-7 – UCLA
14. Tyler Burton – 6-7 – Richmond
15. Emoni Bates – 6-8 1/2 – Eastern Michigan
16. Andre Jackson – 6-6 – UConn
17. Jalen Bridges – 6-7 – Baylor
18. Arthur Kaluma – 6-7 – Creighton
19. Kobe Brown – 6-8 – Missouri
20. Jordan Miller – 6-7 – Miami
21. Jalen Slawson – 6-7 – Furman
22. Seth Lundy – 6-6 – Penn State
23. Terrence Shannon Jr. – 6-7 – Illinois
24. Matthew Mayer – 6-9 – Illinois
25. Nathan Missia-Dio – 6-8 – Overtime Elite (Belgium)