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.

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 Ingram
• Brandon Boston

Draft Projection

lottery to mid first round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

2022 Small Forwards

1. Patrick Baldwin Jr. – 6-10 – Wisconsin Milwaukee 
2. Kendall Brown – 6-6 – Baylor
3. Adrian Griffin Jr. – 6-6 – Duke
4. Caleb Houstan – 6-8 – Michigan (Canada)
5. Ousmane Dieng – 6-7 – France
6. Tari Eason – 6-8 – LSU
7. Matthew Mayer – 6-9 – Baylor
8. Jordan Hall – 6-8 – St. Joes
9. Julian Champagnie – 6-8 – St. Johns
10. Johnny Juzang – 6-7 – UCLA
11. Jalen Wilson – 6-8 – Kansas
12. Jermaine Samuels – 6-7 – Villanova
13. Josh Minott – 6-8 – Memphis
14. Jabari Walker – 6-8 – Colorado
15. Keyontae Johnson – 6-5 – Florida
16. Micah Peavy – 6-7 – TCU
17. Terrence Shannon Jr. – 6-7 – Texas Tech
18. Fanbo Zeng – 6-9 – G League Ignite (China)
19. Abramo Canka – 6-7 – Italy
20. Hyunjung Lee – 6-7 – Davidson (South Korea)
21. Mario Nakic – 6-7 – Serbia
22. Yannick Kraag – 6-8 – Netherlands
23. Samuell Williamson – 6-7 – Louisville
24. Landers Nolley II – 6-7 – Memphis
25. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe – 6-7 – OK State (Canada)