Emoni Bates Reveals Which NBA Players He Watches, Cleveland Cavaliers News

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates says he watches Boston Celtics duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Mar 24, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates (21) drives to the basket against the Miami Heat during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and sometimes replicating another player’s game is the best way to elevate your own. 

That seems to be the case for Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates, who revealed on Wednesday during summer league media availability that he watches players across the league and tries to imitate what they do well on the floor. 

“I definitely watch other players in the league,” said Bates. “I watch myself too just to review my season, just the things I can work on. But I watch a lot of players, especially at my position. Like, things they do well and try to implement it in my game. But I definitely watch the league a lot. Even the summer league games, I’ve been watching them too. I just love watching basketball.”

There are two players in particular that Emoni said he enjoys watching and tries to duplicate their game.

“Jayson [Tatum], Jalen Brown. Those are the two guys I can say off the top because we played them and I can see how they got to their spots and made the game easy for themself and for their size, they’re wings. But just watching them guys get downhill, not wasting time, feels good.”

Oct 31, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates (21) shoots in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Given Emoni’s skillset and ability, trying to mimic Brown and Tatum’s game is a perfect plan for Bates. The Boston Celtics duo are both tremendous at creating their own shot, whether that be driving to the rim or hitting step-back threes.

Bates clearly has the natural talent to be a solid scorer in the league, but he's still working on learning how to consistently find those shots. 

If Emoni can become even half as good as Brown or Tatum, then he’ll have a role in the Cavs rotation.