(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
It seems that no one can slow down Emoni Bates of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bates has been on a tear during the preseason, repeatedly heating up during games and especially in the final quarter.
He was at it again on Monday night, scoring 16 points and shooting 50% from the floor in 23 minutes of play.
A video on Twitter, from Teg via NBACentral, showed just how great he was.
Emoni Bates belongs
( @IQfor3) pic.twitter.com/9o6oriT3aI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 17, 2023
When he was drafted late in the second round in June, most people assumed we wouldn’t see much of Bates.
That is typically the case for a young player who earned a spot deep in the draft.
But Bates has shown that he’s more than most second-round picks and should be considered for serious time during the regular season.
On Monday night, Bates led all Cavaliers players in scoring, threes, and minutes played.
It was his third straight double-digit game of the preseason and has brought his average to 12.7 points and 3 rebounds in just over 16 minutes a game.
In many ways, Bates is exactly the sort of player the Cavaliers have been hoping for.
He is a young, healthy, energetic shooter who has plenty of room for growth and a desire to be strong defensively too.
They have been wanting to improve the depth of their roster and Bates could be part of that.
The Cavaliers’ preseason run ends on October 20 with a game against the Indiana Pacers and then they start the regular season on October 25 when they face off against the Brooklyn Nets.
Will we be seeing more of Bates when the season tips off?
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