Go back the last 10, 20 or say 25 years. Please don't go back to George Gervin since few of us watched him play at EMU (for the most obvious reason is that much of the board might not have been alive. )

I'm thinking of a sharpshooting guard with great range. Steph Curry comes to mind.

BTW, Charles Ramsey's EMU team really did a number on Steph, his 1st game.

" In his first collegiate game, against Eastern Michigan, Curry finished with 15 points but committed 13 turnovers. In the next game, against Michigan, he scored 32 points, dished out four assists, and grabbed nine rebounds. Curry finished the season leading the Southern Conference in scoring with 21.5 points per game."

Even though Emoni is TWO years out of high school, but as frequently mentioned, a YEAR YOUNG for his class, Emoni has a good chance to put up Steph-like numbers at EMU this season.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry

Can anyone off the top of their head think of these 6' 8" (or taller) bean pole fmr. college players who can shoot the lights out of the ball with range to near mid court? The doubting Thomas might recall JaQuan Hart who had similarities to Emoni, but size seems to be the biggest similarity. That would be like me saying I'm the same height as George W. Bush. That's fine, but meaningless.

I would have to go thru the NBA draft list for say the last 10 or 15 years to find a comparable.

NBA draft expert, Sam Vecenie, weighs in.
https://theathletic.com/4123220/2023/01/...ed-article

If I had to compare Emoni Bates to another college basketball player, it would be either LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. The whole comparison thing is a difficult (and unnecessary) in my opinion. Emoni Bates is Emoni Bates. He is a really good player who may or may not be great someday (but he will be drafted). He does not necessarily compare to any particular player.

(01-25-2023 10:02 AM)RamyEMU Wrote:  If I had to compare Emoni Bates to another college basketball player, it would be either LeBron James or Kobe Bryant. The whole comparison thing is a difficult (and unnecessary) in my opinion. Emoni Bates is Emoni Bates. He is a really good player who may or may not be great someday (but he will be drafted). He does not necessarily compare to any particular player.

Good points. I do have one caveat.

In pro sports, there is an old adage that a GM will ask a scout, "Who does he remind you of?" Someone might look at a 6' 5" WR say 4.3 speed and say Calvin Johnson, very tall, very fast, etc. Or someone sees a smaller by equally fast WR and say Ted Ginn Jr.

I'll have to go thru NBA draft lists to find a player who is say 6' 8" - 10" and is as thin as a rail but shoot lights out with great range.

He's got bates as the 34th best player in the draft. A team is going to pick him at the back of the first round and hes going to 'come out of no where' and be a guy in the league. Watch Golden State turn him into a superstar.

Can't think of any.

(01-25-2023 11:06 AM)dansplaining Wrote:  He's got bates as the 34th best player in the draft. A team is going to pick him at the back of the first round and hes going to 'come out of no where' and be a guy in the league. Watch Golden State turn him into a superstar.

I tend to agree. I wish my team had a pick say last third of the first round.

As folks, including a TOL poster, Emoni does NOT play on a team where he can get open with no one 5 feet from him and shoot lights out.

I can think of some adjectives to describe our offense, but it is like a car driving in mud. It doesn't go full throttle.

Put him on a team which can run and gun and watch him finish or head to the corner and drain the 3-ball.

That is NOT the 2022-23 EMU team.

Going O/T but I also watch Howard's MBB. They are playing TWO PGs. Elijah Hawkins and Dockery, a transfer from the Maryland Terp, together.
I love teams who can find two (can we find one?) PGs who can play together and really run an offense with great ball handling. One guy will head to the corner and await an open trey.

I was upstairs and found a sweatshirt buried in my closet: EMU Fast Break Club. Yes, 1990s when we ran and ran and ran.

Magic Johnson was 6'8 but in my opinion a more complete player than Bates who also played guard. I do think the Gervin comparison is a good one since both are great shooters and excel at scoring. I don't recall Gervin being praised as highly on other aspects of his game ie defense rebounding passing.

(01-25-2023 11:39 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Magic Johnson was 6'8 but in my opinion a more complete player than Bates who also played guard. I do think the Gervin comparison is a good one since both are great shooters and excel at scoring. I don't recall Gervin being praised as highly on other aspects of his game ie defense rebounding passing.

The one thing I use as a criteria is size (H/W).

I remember Magic having a fully developed body at MSU. I believe Kobe was muscular coming out of H.S.

I have NO idea what Gervin weighed in H.S. Hence, I can not make that comparison.

As stated, the closest physical comparison I remember is JaQuan Hart. I hope a photo of he and I from 2022. I was reasonably thin (back then). I would have offered to buy him lunch if I could. Or else a CARE package. He was rail thin.

Time for me to search the last 10 years of NBA drafts and see the last what 600 draftees...

https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2023/1/18/2...to-raptors


SBNation has him at 26th.

26. Houston Rockets (via Bucks) - Emoni Bates, F, Eastern Michigan
Bates was being called the next Kevin Durant before he was old enough to get his driver’s license, and has had a star-crossed career ever since. He joined Memphis as a 17-year-old last season, was sidelined with a back injury most of the year, and transferred back home to Eastern Michigan for his sophomore year. Bates has been putting up big numbers for the Eagles all season, and is again reminding scouts that he should get looks in this draft. Listed at 6’10, 170 pounds (he’s likely an inch or two shorter than that), Bates’ appeal is his intersection of size, shooting, and ball handling. Teams will want to see him hit better than the 34.4 percent he’s currently making from deep, but his shot is effortless and he will be able to get it off at high volume. He still has major questions about his frame (he has short arms and is incredibly skinny), playmaking, and defense, but it’s important to remember how young he is for this class. Bates’ story has been a rollercoaster to this point, but there’s still a chance it has a positive ending.

They also call him the feel good story of the year:
https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketb...ght-points

(01-25-2023 12:05 PM)dansplaining Wrote:  https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2023/1/18/2...to-raptors


SBNation has him at 26th.

26. Houston Rockets (via Bucks) - Emoni Bates, F, Eastern Michigan
Bates was being called the next Kevin Durant before he was old enough to get his driver’s license, and has had a star-crossed career ever since. He joined Memphis as a 17-year-old last season, was sidelined with a back injury most of the year, and transferred back home to Eastern Michigan for his sophomore year. Bates has been putting up big numbers for the Eagles all season, and is again reminding scouts that he should get looks in this draft. Listed at 6’10, 170 pounds (he’s likely an inch or two shorter than that), Bates’ appeal is his intersection of size, shooting, and ball handling. Teams will want to see him hit better than the 34.4 percent he’s currently making from deep, but his shot is effortless and he will be able to get it off at high volume. He still has major questions about his frame (he has short arms and is incredibly skinny), playmaking, and defense, but it’s important to remember how young he is for this class. Bates’ story has been a rollercoaster to this point, but there’s still a chance it has a positive ending.

They also call him the feel good story of the year:
https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketb...ght-points

Good stuff. Once again I'll repeat what I have been saying. Put him on an offensively fluid team and let him camp in the corners and his 3-ball percentage will go up dramatically. Now he get stuck shooting from Milan, Whitmore Lake, Northville, Ann Arbor, etc.

I believe he takes these shots because all too often he doesn't have a real choice. When the offense isn't moving it is like hot potato. Last one with the ball has to hoist it up.

Emoni is the best pure shooter to come around in a long time. The NBA loves shooters and scorers because that what folks pay to see. However GMs and coaches have a different value. Can you shoot and score? That one contract value and one draft position. Can you pair that scoring skill with defense ie blocked shots or steals or rebounding or passing assists? Thats a higher draft position and potentially higher contact down the road. A few other comments. The NBA season is much longer than a college season and more physically demanding. As a rookie you are playing against potentially stronger and more experienced players. Can Emoni right now physically handle can entire NBA season? In my opinion he would be better served adding some weight and muscle prior to the NBA draft and workouts. But that's just me. Also does he play guard or small forward in the NBA?

(01-25-2023 11:54 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-25-2023 11:39 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Magic Johnson was 6'8 but in my opinion a more complete player than Bates who also played guard. I do think the Gervin comparison is a good one since both are great shooters and excel at scoring. I don't recall Gervin being praised as highly on other aspects of his game ie defense rebounding passing.

The one thing I use as a criteria is size (H/W).

I remember Magic having a fully developed body at MSU. I believe Kobe was muscular coming out of H.S.

I have NO idea what Gervin weighed in H.S. Hence, I can not make that comparison.

As stated, the closest physical comparison I remember is JaQuan Hart. I hope a photo of he and I from 2022. I was reasonably thin (back then). I would have offered to buy him lunch if I could. Or else a CARE package. He was rail thin.

Time for me to search the last 10 years of NBA drafts and see the last what 600 draftees...

Steve Magic didn't come into MSU out of high school with a fully developed body. He played guard for the first time ever at MSU and averaged 17 pts 8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game as a frosh. He was selected as an All American.

(01-25-2023 01:51 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Emoni is the best pure shooter to come around in a long time. The NBA loves shooters and scorers because that what folks pay to see. However GMs and coaches have a different value. Can you shoot and score? That one contract value and one draft position. Can you pair that scoring skill with defense ie blocked shots or steals or rebounding or passing assists? Thats a higher draft position and potentially higher contact down the road. A few other comments. The NBA season is much longer than a college season and more physically demanding. As a rookie you are playing against potentially stronger and more experienced players. Can Emoni right now physically handle can entire NBA season? In my opinion he would be better served adding some weight and muscle prior to the NBA draft and workouts. But that's just me. Also does he play guard or small forward in the NBA?

It says something that he leads the team in rebounding. is he ever going to be a true 3 and D wing? no but i think he screams microwave points off the bench for a contender

(01-25-2023 01:51 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Emoni is the best pure shooter to come around in a long time. The NBA loves shooters and scorers because that what folks pay to see. However GMs and coaches have a different value. Can you shoot and score? That one contract value and one draft position. Can you pair that scoring skill with defense ie blocked shots or steals or rebounding or passing assists? Thats a higher draft position and potentially higher contact down the road. A few other comments. The NBA season is much longer than a college season and more physically demanding. As a rookie you are playing against potentially stronger and more experienced players. Can Emoni right now physically handle can entire NBA season? In my opinion he would be better served adding some weight and muscle prior to the NBA draft and workouts. But that's just me. Also does he play guard or small forward in the NBA?

‘79, I think you are right and wrong. He is projected as late first early second round- which I agree with. Often those players are not expected to take the load of the team immediately but given time to develop. Some minutes off the bench or even spend some time in the g-league during the season. Some times it pans out, sometimes it is a clear dud after a couple seasons.

Lottery picks are a different story, they are expected to be relied on immediately. “NBA Ready” so to speak. Sometimes it pans out, sometimes it is a clear dud after a couple seasons. I think we all agree Emoni isn’t this level- at least not yet.

The question is does he stay in the college ranks another year to potentially develop into the Lottery Pick? I say NO. 1) He may never develop into a dominant defender, in which case his advanced year means lower future potential; 2) Even if he does develop , his team may not and the continued losing will hurt his stock; and 3) Why would anyone want to hang around the EMU environment with all the libel and hostility. Some on this board wanted to bench him and others called him “a cancer” (oh wait, was that you?) while the national media is praising him.

Emoni Bates will be drafted, and it will be a positive sales point to future recruits at the very least. And good advertisement for the university. Thank you, Emoni!! Good luck next year!!!

(01-25-2023 02:20 PM)dansplaining Wrote:  

(01-25-2023 01:51 PM)emu79 Wrote:  Emoni is the best pure shooter to come around in a long time. The NBA loves shooters and scorers because that what folks pay to see. However GMs and coaches have a different value. Can you shoot and score? That one contract value and one draft position. Can you pair that scoring skill with defense ie blocked shots or steals or rebounding or passing assists? Thats a higher draft position and potentially higher contact down the road. A few other comments. The NBA season is much longer than a college season and more physically demanding. As a rookie you are playing against potentially stronger and more experienced players. Can Emoni right now physically handle can entire NBA season? In my opinion he would be better served adding some weight and muscle prior to the NBA draft and workouts. But that's just me. Also does he play guard or small forward in the NBA?

It says something that he leads the team in rebounding. is he ever going to be a true 3 and D wing? no but i think he screams microwave points off the bench for a contender

I agree with your assessment. Very likely not a completely dominant player but a valued and exciting scorer perhaps off the bench. Will have a long NBA career while not nearly meeting the ridiculous expectations of the 15 year old version. Thanks for this assessment and some of the informative posts above.

(01-25-2023 02:03 PM)emu79 Wrote:  

(01-25-2023 11:54 AM)emu steve Wrote:  

(01-25-2023 11:39 AM)emu79 Wrote:  Magic Johnson was 6'8 but in my opinion a more complete player than Bates who also played guard. I do think the Gervin comparison is a good one since both are great shooters and excel at scoring. I don't recall Gervin being praised as highly on other aspects of his game ie defense rebounding passing.

The one thing I use as a criteria is size (H/W).

I remember Magic having a fully developed body at MSU. I believe Kobe was muscular coming out of H.S.

I have NO idea what Gervin weighed in H.S. Hence, I can not make that comparison.

As stated, the closest physical comparison I remember is JaQuan Hart. I hope a photo of he and I from 2022. I was reasonably thin (back then). I would have offered to buy him lunch if I could. Or else a CARE package. He was rail thin.

Time for me to search the last 10 years of NBA drafts and see the last what 600 draftees...

Steve Magic didn't come into MSU out of high school with a fully developed body. He played guard for the first time ever at MSU and averaged 17 pts 8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game as a frosh. He was selected as an All American.

Understood. I'm trying to remember what he looked like coming to MSU.

My guess is that neither Magic or Kobe were as skinny as Emoni.

I've got the feeling that he'll be a star for golden state.

And yet again. Emoni Bates has got Eastern Michigan University in the national news. Can’t beat that free advertising for name recognition of our Alma Mater. Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo sports, etc… So yet again, THANK YOU EMONI BATES!!

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/01...gan-toledo

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/01/emoni-b...basketball

https://sports.yahoo.com/former-top-recr...05309.html

(‘79, please spare us your standard response of “the team is still 4-16”. We are aware, but they would be 1-19 without Emoni Bates and this way the University still gets the free press despite being a horrible basketball team)
(Luckey, still want to bench Emoni Bates?)

(01-25-2023 05:14 PM)RamyEMU Wrote:  And yet again. Emoni Bates has got Eastern Michigan University in the national news. Can’t beat that free advertising for name recognition of our Alma Mater. Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Yahoo sports, etc… So yet again, THANK YOU EMONI BATES!!

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2023/01...gan-toledo

https://ftw.usatoday.com/2023/01/emoni-b...basketball

https://sports.yahoo.com/former-top-recr...05309.html

(‘79, please spare us your standard response of “the team is still 4-16”. We are aware, but they would be 1-19 without Emoni Bates and this way the University still gets the free press despite being a horrible basketball team)
(Luckey, still want to bench Emoni Bates?)

We have dour fans... Sometimes I need to see if I have any vodka in the kitchen cabinet.