Tag: emoni bates

Cavaliers’ Emoni Bates named as injury replacement in Rising Stars game

Cavaliers rookie Emoni Bates has been named an injury replacement player in the NBA Rising Stars game on Friday.

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Emoni Bates has been named an injury replacement player in the NBA Rising Stars game on Friday in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Bates, who is signed to a two-way contract, will replace G League Ignite guard Ron Holland, who is dealing with a thumb injury. He will take his place on the G League team, which also features Matas Buzelis, Mac McClung and Oscar Tshiebwe.

The 49th pick is averaging 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and one steal on 39% shooting from 3-point range in 21 games with the Cleveland Charge in the G League. He has produced three 30-point games, including a season-high 38 points on Jan. 6.

The Rising Stars game will feature four seven-player teams competing in a three-game tournament for the third straight year. The two semifinal games will be played to a target score of 40. The championship game will be played to a target score of 25.

The pool of players for the game consists of 11 rookies, 10 second-year players and seven players from the G League. The 21 players in the NBA were drafted onto three teams and the seven players in the G League comprise the fourth team.

Hall of Famer Pau Gasol returns as one of the four honorary head coaches for the event. Joining Gasol are Indiana Fever legend Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf, who will lead the G League team.

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Cavaliers’ JB Bickerstaff offers unconditional support of Emoni Bates after ugly incident in G League

Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff offered his full support for Emoni Bates on Monday after the rookie was suspended by the G League.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff offered his full support for Emoni Bates on Monday after the rookie was suspended by the G League.

Bates and teammate Gabe Osabuohien were suspended for two games for entering the spectator stands at the conclusion of the Cleveland Charge’s 126-105 road loss to the Birmingham Squadron at Legacy Arena.

Bickerstaff said the team has talked with Bates about the incident.

I want to be clear about the circumstances of that, and I don’t think it has been clear: It was an ugly incident from the fan’s standpoint. Emoni and Gabe, they draw the attention and I understand the league’s hard and fast rule on approaching the stands and that type of thing, but there is also a line that needs to be drawn between how fans believe they can interact with players and how they can interact with players’ families and the things that were said to Emoni and his family. I understand Emoni being upset, and Gabe going to protect Emoni in that situation.

The exact details of the incident are unavailable, and there is limited video available to show what transpired in the stands. The two players, who will serve their suspensions starting on Monday, eventually returned to the court to shake hands with members of the Squadron.

Bickerstaff called on the league to protect players from similar incidents.

I want to make it clear: What happened from the fan perspective was ugly and there is no place in our game for the things that those fans were saying. It is to a point where they’re words that I won’t even repeat because that is how disgusting and vile it was. I understand the league’s rule and where they stand, but I also understand a guy wants to protect his mother, and a teammate wanting to protect him. I talked to Emoni and let him know we’ve got his back and are still supporting him.

Bates signed a two-way contract after the Cavaliers drafted him with the 49th pick last year out of Eastern Michigan. He has spent most of the season with the Charge, averaging 24.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.3 steals on 42% shooting from 3-point range in 15 games.

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5 rookies (Julian Strawther!) who have played surprisingly well during the NBA preseason

The Nuggets may have found a GEM in Julian Strawther.

The NBA preseason is a great opportunity for franchises to see what they have in their young players and several are using the time wisely.

While we knew we could expect greatness from Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, there are some other prospects who we would consider as more pleasant surprises thus far.

Based on what we have seen on the court during these exhibition matches, here are a few of the players who have stood out as potential rotation pieces that we may not have initially anticipated to see get minutes during their first professional campaigns next year.

Cavs’ JB Bickerstaff on rookie Emoni Bates: ‘The best is yet to come’

Emoni Bates debuted with the Cavaliers on Tuesday, and made the most of his opportunity on the court in a loss to the Hawks.

Emoni Bates debuted with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, and the 49th pick made the most of his opportunity on the court in a loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Bates checked into the game late in the third quarter and played the final 13 minutes and 36 seconds of the game, recording 10 points, two rebounds, one steal and one block in the 108-107 loss. He went 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc.

One of those 3s nearly won the Cavaliers the game.

He hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 10.5 seconds left to play to put the Cavaliers up by two points. But Trent Forrest responded on the other end with an and-1 to send the Hawks to the one-point victory.

Coach JB Bickerstaff was impressed by him taking that shot.

“He is a really good basketball player,” Bickerstaff said, according to Serena Winters of Bally Sports Cleveland. “He has the ability to make open shots, but he also has the ability to create shots for himself. When you have a guy like that, that’s been through the pressure that he’s been through since he was 12 years old, that last shot meant nothing. He has seen way worse so to have the courage to create that shot (and) knock it down was big time. I think the best is yet to come.”

Bates signed a two-way contract with the Cavaliers out of Eastern Michigan. The team will have the opportunity to get a closer look at him throughout the preseason since he will spend much of the season with the Cleveland Charge in the G League.

The upcoming season should serve as a great opportunity for Bates to continue his development in the NBA and G League. He was once viewed as a top prospect and showed why in a limited sample size on Tuesday.

Cleveland returns to action on Thursday versus Orlando.

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Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore named MVP of NBA Summer League

The 20th pick was named Most Valuable Player of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Houston Rockets forward Cam Whitmore on Monday was named Most Valuable Player of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, the league announced.

Whitmore led the Rockets to the championship game on Monday after averaging 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, three steals and 2.4 assists on 46.5% shooting from the field in five appearances. He produced three 20-point games, including a summer league-high 26 points on July 13.

He was also named to the all-summer league first team.

The 20th pick ranks third in total scoring in Las Vegas among all players with one game to play. He leads all players in field goals (40) and steals (15).

Joining Whitmore on the all-summer league first team are Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill, Miami Heat center Orlando Robinson and Denver Nuggets forward Hunter Tyson.

His teammate, Jabari Smith Jr., headlines the second team:

Houston will face Cleveland in the title game on Monday at 9 p.m. EDT.

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What if? Reflecting back on Michigan State basketball’s 2020 and 2021 recruiting misses and what could have been

We looked at 4 former recruiting targets who were heavily linked to the Spartans and where they are now

In 2023, things are looking quite bright for Michigan State basketball. The Spartans just made their first Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and are considered one of the favorites to make the Final Four this upcoming season.

However, while watching Emoni Bates play well for the Cleveland Cavaliers NBA summer league squad, I’ve been reflecting on that era of MSU basketball recruitment, not just with Bates, but with some other names that were linked to the Spartans around that time.

Below, I take a look at four players who were heavily linked the Spartans during that era, and where they went since choosing not to come to MSU, and also some thoughts on what could have been.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

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Explaining why Emoni Bates could have a massive slide in the 2023 NBA Draft

Emoni Bates was long considered one of the top basketball prospects in the world.

Emoni Bates was long considered one of the top basketball prospects in the world, but his outlook in the 2023 NBA Draft doesn’t look great.

When he was just 15 years old, 24/7 Sports speculated that he was perhaps “the best high school prospect” since LeBron James. The following year, Bates became the first high school sophomore to ever win the boys’ Gatorade National Player of the Year award.

For his junior year, Bates transferred to a prep school created by his father. He then opted to forego his senior year of high school to play at Memphis, where he became the youngest player in college basketball for the 2021-22 season.

After struggling on the court and suffering a back injury, Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan. Bates was soon suspended after he was arrested during the offseason. He was charged with two felonies, including carrying a concealed weapon, but the charges were later dropped. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation following a misdemeanor gun charge.

Here is what one NBA scout recently told Seth Davis (via The Athletic):

“He’s not even on our board. Just too much of a circus. He has a scorer’s mentality but bad shot selection. He’s one of those athletic-looking guys that’s not really athletic. He has no interest in playing defense or utilizing his other abilities. He needs to learn how to play with other good players.”

Once on the court for Eastern Michigan, meanwhile, Bates strung together a few dominant performances. But there are still various factors, including his underwhelming physical measurements, working against him.

Bates recently measured at 6-foot-8.25 inches in socks and weighed 179.2 pounds at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine. Among all players who have measured at the NBA Draft Combine since 2000, per Stadium Speak, none taller than 6-foot-5 but less than 180 pounds heard their name called in the NBA Draft.

Meanwhile, per Stadium Speak, his wingspan relative to height (1.01) ranks in the 3rd percentile among all players who have measured at the NBA Draft Combine since 2000.

As such, it is no surprise that his defensive metrics are particularly discouraging. Bates allowed 0.88 points per defensive chance, per Stats Perform, which was the worst among all NBA prospects included in the latest aggregate mock draft provided by HoopsHype.

According to Bart Torvik, there are only two players on record ever drafted listed at his height or taller with a block percentage and steal percentage both lower than 2 percent. Bates fails to meet either threshold.

Last season, per Stats Perform, he allowed a whopping 1.14 points per pick when defending the screener in pick-and-roll actions. That was the worst among top prospects with at least 40 opportunities tracked.

Bates averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season and ultimately, some teams may find his blend of height and shooting enticing. But he was just 21-for-64 (32.8 percent) on uncontested jumpers, per Stats Perform, which was near the worst among top prospects.

He was also just 59-for-155 (38.0 percent) when taking his catch-and-shoot jumpers, which ranked near the worst among top prospects as well.

Overall, the advanced metrics do not suggest a good forecast. Bates (-0.4) graded very poorly for the catch-all metric box plus-minus during his time at Memphis and Eastern Michigan.

In fact, per Bart Torvik, there are only five players on record since 2008 to hear their name called on draft night after posting a negative box-plus minus during their collegiate careers. Only one was selected in the first round and only two were selected in the top 40.

We projected Bates at No. 49 overall in our latest NBA mock draft.

MORE:

2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: 58 projections after the early entry withdrawal deadline

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.

The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.

Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.

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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.

With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.

Emoni Bates shares why he decommitted from Michigan State basketball

Emoni Bates shared why he decommitted from Michigan State in a recent interview:

Emoni Bates was once the biggest and best recruit to ever commit to Michigan State. Unfortunately, he eventually decommitted, and the rest of his career played out as it did.

Now, as Bates prepares for the NBA draft, he sat down with Shams Charania and shared his thoughts about decommitting from Michigan State.

You can watch the interview via Twitter:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

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5 potential undrafted guards Sixers should look into after 2023 NBA draft

Here are five guard who could potentially go undrafted in 2023 that the Philadelphia 76ers should look into.

The Philadelphia 76ers do not have a draft pick in the 2023 NBA draft. They traded away their first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the deal that brought James Harden to the City of Brotherly Love at the 2022 deadline, and they were docked second-round picks in 2023 and 2024 by the NBA for tampering.

However, that doesn’t mean the Sixers will or should be inactive around the draft process. There will be a number of talented players who go undrafted, meaning the Sixers should be able to add a young player who could potentially become a rotation player.

One should not brush off undrafted players. The Miami Heat are a prime example of investing in young talent and giving them time to develop. In the Sixers’ case, here are five guards who could go undrafted but could help in the long run: