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. Cam Whitmore – 6-7 – Villanova
2. Brandon Miller – 6-8 – Alabama
3. Dariq Whitehead – 6-5 – Duke
4. Rayan Rupert – 6-7 – France
5. Jordan Walsh – 6-7 – Arkansas
6. Leonard Miller – 6-10 – Canada
7. Baba Miller – 6-11 – Florida State (Spain)
8. Gradey Dick – 6-7 – Kansas
9. Maxwell Lewis – 6-7 – Pepperdine
10. Arthur Kaluma – 6-7 – Creighton
11. Julian Phillips – 6-7 – Tennessee
12. Dillon Mitchell – 6-7 – Texas
13. Jalen Wilson – 6-8 – Kansas
14. Jaime Jaquez Jr. – 6-7 – UCLA
15. Terrence Shannon Jr. – 6-7 – Illinois
16. Emoni Bates – 6-8 1/2 – Eastern Michigan
17. Colby Jones – 6-6 – Xavier
18. Andre Jackson – 6-6 – UConn
19. Marquise Rice – 6-5 – Kansas
20. Matthew Mayer – 6-9 – Illinois
21. Tre White – 6-6 – USC
22. Nathan Missia-Dio – 6-8 – Overtime Elite (Belgium)
23. Cam’Ron Fletcher – 6-7 – Florida State
24. Abramo Canka – 6-7 – Italy
25. Mario Nakic – 6-7 – Serbia
26. Yannick Kraag – 6-8 – Netherlands
27. Armel Traore – 6-8 – France