Keeping Emoni Bates Off The Floor Will Be Difficult For Cavaliers

Emoni Bates has scored double figures in each of the Cleveland Cavaliers' preseason games.

Typically when a player was drafted late in the second round, they're just trying their best to crack an NBA roster and the team would be happy if they could. That hasn't been the case for Emoni Bates and the Cleveland Cavaliers as there's a serious case that he should be in their rotation from the get-go.

Just a little recap, the Cavs drafted Bates late in last summer's draft and was on the Summer League roster which won the championship. Now, Emoni is getting serious minutes in the preseason and is showing exactly what he can offer to the Cavaliers.

Bates has played in each of Cleveland's preseason games and has been nothing short of remarkable. He's averaging 12.7 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of the team's contests.

The 19-year-old clearly has no fear of shooting the ball. Sometimes this can be an issue for young players trying to prove something but not in Bates' case. He's shooting 51 percent from the floor on 9.0 attempts a night.

It's going to be hard for the Cavaliers to keep Bates off the floor if he continues to play at this level. The small forward position is still an area that the team is thin at and Emoni is the exact player they need. 

Oct 12, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Emoni Bates (21) celebrates after hitting a three-point basket during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

J.B. Bickerstaff shared how lucky the organization is to have Bates after Cleveland's win over Ra'anana Maccabi.

"We are extremely fortunate that Emoni was there at (49). I believe that Emoni is fortunate to be here also because I think that the pairing works. And I think for his development and his advancement over his career, being here works. But I also believe that if Emoni would've gone in the letter he'd have been in the rookie over-the-year conversation."

One challenge in all of this is that Bates is currently on a two-way contract with Cleveland. This means that he can only be active for 50 of their team's 82 regular season games. 

The Cavs are clearly high on Bates' future and he's demonstrating the talent it takes to be an NBA player. They'll need to find a spot for Emoni in the team's near and long-term future if he continues at this rate.