Emoni Bates

[tundraknight]

I like Emoni but its still suuuuuuper early. When the comp catches up to him i need to see the adjustments he makes to his game. Lot of skill though. My question for kids this good this early is if the confidence and success curbs the work ethic.

This is a great point you made back in 2019.

I’ve actually been reading about Emoni Bates struggling in his recent games as he’s been getting better competition.

https://247sports.com/LongFormArticle/Emoni-Bates-basketball-prospect-Midwest-Mania-breakdown-164761930/#164761930_1

https://www.yardbarker.com/general_sports/articles/despite_recent_criticism_emoni_bates_remains_a_special_talent/s1_16793_34756232

^ And one of those articles was talking about just that.

“ Similarly to his physique, Bates matured early so while he was much taller than the kids early on in his career, he was also much more athletic. Again, similarly to his physique, he has remained a similar athlete since his early days and many of his peers have surpassed him in this area.

Bates is still a good athlete but does not possess the burst or strength to efficiently break down and get by his man on the perimeter. This isn't quite as simple to improve as raw mass and strength, but again there are plenty of means for Bates to improve his explosiveness.

It must be noted that Bates was drawing double- and triple-teams in both viewings this weekend so busting through a defense is no easy task. But it was still noticeable the amount of dribbles and energy it took for Bates to get into that second level of defense.”

[NO-KG-AI]

Bates always looked too reliant on making difficult shots and over dribbling to be a generational scorer to me. Almost every transcendant scorer csn make difficult shots, but they are truly consistent because they can get to spots and create easy looks seemlessly.




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[tundraknight]

He's talented for sure, but I did watch a kid a year younger than him, dominate against him. That elijah fisher kid...he's a young man. Lebron james like

I didn’t watch that game but Fisher is supposed to be one of the top prospects in the 2024 NBA Draft.

[EvanZ]

Wish he had more length.

[clyde21]

he's still a top tier prospect but all this talk about him being the best prospect since Bron was way too premature, he won't be as good of a prospect as Zion. in fact I am not really sure he's better than Chet or Cade/Mobley, but we'll see.

[CptCrunch]

Zion revisionism needs to stop. Zion was a high tier 5 star recruit, not a generational one.

He was RSCI #4 before school started in July 2018. 247 snaked their ranking like Simmons fyi.

ESPN #2, 247 #7, Rival #5, Van Coleman #2

I have not watched Emoni Bates and his latest videos, but if the scouts are saying that others have caught up while he hasn't improved at faster rate is troubling.

[clyde21]

1) i'm talking about them as NBA prospects...Zion coming out of Duke was generational, Bates will not be on that level

2) i've been calling Zion generational since HS, so this isn't "revisionism".

[EMG518]

I just watched a 5 min highlight video of Bates going against Chet, Chet looked liked the better prospect and it wasn't close. Bates being lazy on defense, not getting back up the court, watching the ball rather than going for a rebound vs Chet whom seemed to have all the opposite reactions, really into the game, making defensive plays, upset about the other team scoring, coming from the top of the key and grabbing that same rebound Bates was just watching. Chet was rail thin but taller and longer and seemed to make quicker decisions and more upside skill wise imo. Bates looks like a guy whom comes in highly touted and winds up going late 1st imo.

[Marcus]

Bates to Memphis. no draft till 23 right?

[EvanZ]

Bates to Memphis. no draft till 23 right?

Right he's ineligible this year due to age.

[Marcus]

would it be fair to make side by side comparisons with Bates and Scoot Henderson in terms of development when talking NCAA/G-League, or by nature of the positions they play we can't?

[Duke4life831]

This decision is beyond head scratching in my opinion.

Why Memphis? Penny hasn't been good as a coach. Memphis hasn't made the tournament since Penny has been coach. They dont get any kind of national media recognition. I get Duren is going there and they should be able to make the tournament this year.

But still I feel like the biggest reason for a guy like Bates to choose college over the G league would be for marketing he could get. You go to UK, KU, Duke, UNC, MSU youre going to get millions tuning in to watch your games. You're going to be getting talked about on ESPN. If you make a deep tournament run with one of those teams you basically become a household name for basketball fans. That kind of marketing the G League just cant come close to matching. So I get it if he chose one of those schools.

But again why Memphis? Just because you like Penny? Dude go take the 500k+ and you can go hangout and train and play with pros all year long basically, while making damn good money. No clue why he chose Memphis over the G League.

[CptCrunch]

This decision is beyond head scratching in my opinion.

Why Memphis? Penny hasn't been good as a coach. Memphis hasn't made the tournament since Penny has been coach. They dont get any kind of national media recognition. I get Duren is going there and they should be able to make the tournament this year.

But still I feel like the biggest reason for a guy like Bates to choose college over the G league would be for marketing he could get. You go to UK, KU, Duke, UNC, MSU youre going to get millions tuning in to watch your games. You're going to be getting talked about on ESPN. If you make a deep tournament run with one of those teams you basically become a household name for basketball fans. That kind of marketing the G League just cant come close to matching. So I get it if he chose one of those schools.

But again why Memphis? Just because you like Penny? Dude go take the 500k+ and you can go hangout and train and play with pros all year long basically, while making damn good money. No clue why he chose Memphis over the G League.

Penny bags must be heavier than bags from other schools. James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa both also got recruited by Penny recently.

[Duke4life831]

This decision is beyond head scratching in my opinion.

Why Memphis? Penny hasn't been good as a coach. Memphis hasn't made the tournament since Penny has been coach. They dont get any kind of national media recognition. I get Duren is going there and they should be able to make the tournament this year.

But still I feel like the biggest reason for a guy like Bates to choose college over the G league would be for marketing he could get. You go to UK, KU, Duke, UNC, MSU youre going to get millions tuning in to watch your games. You're going to be getting talked about on ESPN. If you make a deep tournament run with one of those teams you basically become a household name for basketball fans. That kind of marketing the G League just cant come close to matching. So I get it if he chose one of those schools.

But again why Memphis? Just because you like Penny? Dude go take the 500k+ and you can go hangout and train and play with pros all year long basically, while making damn good money. No clue why he chose Memphis over the G League.

Penny bags must be heavier than bags from other schools. James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa both also got recruited by Penny recently.

But that's the point Im making, if its about the money, go play in the G League. Go make 500k+ in just a couple months worth of basketball. Get paid big bucks and dont have to worry about all the stupid crap you have to do with the whole "Im going to school" BS.

Hell the money thing doesnt even make sense when comparing with other schools. These guys can make money at the schools this year. These blue bloods are going to be funneling so much money to these kids through "local endorsements".

Plus he is going to be there 2 years. Duke and UK donors vastly outweigh whatever Memphis basketball donors they can get. So there will no doubt be under the table high priced "local endorsement deals". Plus again he would get so many more eyeballs playing for a blue blood vs Memphis and that would lead to national endorsements.

[andyhop]

This decision is beyond head scratching in my opinion.

Why Memphis? Penny hasn't been good as a coach. Memphis hasn't made the tournament since Penny has been coach. They dont get any kind of national media recognition. I get Duren is going there and they should be able to make the tournament this year.

But still I feel like the biggest reason for a guy like Bates to choose college over the G league would be for marketing he could get. You go to UK, KU, Duke, UNC, MSU youre going to get millions tuning in to watch your games. You're going to be getting talked about on ESPN. If you make a deep tournament run with one of those teams you basically become a household name for basketball fans. That kind of marketing the G League just cant come close to matching. So I get it if he chose one of those schools.

But again why Memphis? Just because you like Penny? Dude go take the 500k+ and you can go hangout and train and play with pros all year long basically, while making damn good money. No clue why he chose Memphis over the G League.

Exposure at Memphis is greater than exposure in the G League and it probably pays a hell of a lot better as well.

[Duke4life831]

Again I get why a player would choose college over the G League, especially with the idiotic not being allowed to make money off of name and likeness rule gone. College ball has far more eyeballs on it than the G League. So I can see a player thinking to himself, ya a 500k check sounds nice. But if I go play for one of these blue blood schools, Im going to be making at least 100k+ in endorsements, plus Im going to have millions of eyeballs on me and that will help grow my name recognition. Compared to playing in the G League where a few thousand see the game.

If I was a high 5 star recruit that is how I would look at it. G League I get that 500k guaranteed check, while college might be a riskier move but the marketing potential is much higher, I can grow my name recognition much more in the same time span.

My thing with Memphis is, as many people watch Memphis college hoops games as they do G League games. So there is no marketing benefit going to Memphis if youre a stud player like Bates. There is no massive built in audience you get with the blue blood schools. I just see zero benefit of Memphis over the G League in this situation for Bates.

[Duke4life831]

This decision is beyond head scratching in my opinion.

Why Memphis? Penny hasn't been good as a coach. Memphis hasn't made the tournament since Penny has been coach. They dont get any kind of national media recognition. I get Duren is going there and they should be able to make the tournament this year.

But still I feel like the biggest reason for a guy like Bates to choose college over the G league would be for marketing he could get. You go to UK, KU, Duke, UNC, MSU youre going to get millions tuning in to watch your games. You're going to be getting talked about on ESPN. If you make a deep tournament run with one of those teams you basically become a household name for basketball fans. That kind of marketing the G League just cant come close to matching. So I get it if he chose one of those schools.

But again why Memphis? Just because you like Penny? Dude go take the 500k+ and you can go hangout and train and play with pros all year long basically, while making damn good money. No clue why he chose Memphis over the G League.

Exposure at Memphis is greater than exposure in the G League and it probably pays a hell of a lot better as well.

Is it? At a blue blood school no doubt it is. More people tuned in to watch Zion at Duke then they have to watch Zion with the Pels. I 100% agree that the exposure at the blue bloods in college basketball is far greater than what the G League can ever dream of. But Memphis aint a blue blood. Hell he didnt just not choose a blue blood, he didnt even choose to go to a power conference school.

People dont tune in to watch Memphis, every Memphis game isn't on ESPN or ESPN2 like it is for Duke/UK/UNC and so on. Memphis basketball and big TV exposure dont go together.

[clyde21]

this 'exposure' talk is nonsense, what did more "exposure" get Cade or Mobley in college that Green/Kuminga didn't get in the G League?

[andyhop]

Is it? At a blue blood school no doubt it is. More people tuned in to watch Zion at Duke then they have to watch Zion with the Pels. I 100% agree that the exposure at the blue bloods in college basketball is far greater than what the G League can ever dream of. But Memphis aint a blue blood. Hell he didnt just not choose a blue blood, he didnt even choose to go to a power conference school.

People dont tune in to watch Memphis, every Memphis game isn't on ESPN or ESPN2 like it is for Duke/UK/UNC and so on. Memphis basketball and big TV exposure dont go together.

Sure it isn't the same as going to Duke or Kentucky but it still beats the G League. Last season Memphis were on ESPN or ESPN2 21 time and CBS once so it isn't like nobody can ever watch their games if they want to.

I mean I agree with your basic point in that I never understand why players go to strange schools rather than sticking to the big boys but they do for whatever their reasons are.

I wonder how long the G League is going to persist with trying to attract prospects given it is likely to become a lot more expensive if they want the top guys or they are going to get guys who don't move the needle for the league if they keep the pay as it is now

[Duke4life831]

this 'exposure' talk is nonsense, what did more "exposure" get Cade or Mobley in college that Green/Kuminga didn't get in the G League?

I think they definitely get more exposure at a school like UK/Duke/Kansas/UNC. Those games get millions of people to watch, ESPN talks about them on their shows, they plaster their faces on commercials for upcoming games.

But again Im strictly talking the blue bloods here. Even a Duke/UNC game with zero buzz still got 2 million people watching it last year. And again a blue blood making a deep run in March is huge ratings and buzz.

I agree I dont think playing at USC or OKS has much edge at all when it comes to marketing and exposure compared to the G League. Those arent schools that have big built in audiences, ESPN never spent any time hyping up the next OKS or USC game. Hell I had to go out of my way to find USC games it felt like last year.

I think the blue bloods do have the exposure advantage though. ESPN does go out of their way to pump up those games and advertise them, especially when those teams are good and you end up getting million of eyeballs watching your games.