Emoni Bates 2023 NBA Draft Profile (Combine Results, Measurements & Scouting Report for Former Top Prospect)

Eastern Michigan's Emoni Bates enters the 2023 NBA Draft as one of the more intriguing prospects available. Once a formerly highly-touted prospect, many are wondering if Bates still has what it takes to become an everyday NBA player.

Here's everything you need to know about Emoni Bates before the 2023 NBA Draft.

Emoni Dates Scouting Report and Draft Prediction

After a disappointing 2021-22 campaign at Memphis, Bates switched over to Eastern Michigan for his sophomore year. It ended up being a beneficial move as he wound up averaging 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Eagles, even earning All-MAC third-team honors.

Bates isn't afraid to fire the ball, highlighted by his averaging 17.5 field-goal and 8.5 three-point attempts throughout college. He's also a solid defender when guarding opponents who are a similar size and even ranked eighth in the MAC with an 18.1% defensive rebound percentage.

Nevertheless, there are good reasons as to why Bates fell down the rankings. First of all, he's only played 48 NCAA games, which is an extremely small sample size. His playmaking skills leave much to be desired, as does the fact that he isn't effective at driving to the basket due to his weighing just 179 pounds despite being over 6-foot-8.

A few years ago, some scouts went as far as calling Bates the next Kevin Durant, which is why it'd be fitting if the EMU star found himself with the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 50.

Bates is a low-risk, high-reward player that OKC fans would love. If he can hit his potential, a team boasting the likes of Bates, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could cause damage for years to come.

Prediction: Oklahoma City Thunder (Round 2, 50th overall)

Emoni Bates NBA Draft Combine Results

Emoni Bates College Stats

Emoni Bates Eastern Michigan Highlights

What is Emoni Bates' vertical?

Emoni Bates recorded a standing vertical of 27 inches at the NBA Draft Combine. He also recorded a max vertical leap of 32.5 inches.

How tall is Emoni Bates?

Emoni Bates came in at 6' 8.25'' at the NBA Combine. Eastern Michigan's website lists him at 6-foot-9, giving a better idea as to how tall he is on the court.

What is Emoni Bates' wingspan?

Emoni Bates' wingspan sits at 6-foot-9 inches, which helped him tally 0.7 steals per game in his year at Eastern Michigan.

How old is Emoni Bates?

Emoni Bates is 19 years old, making him one of the younger prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft. He was born on January 28, 2004, meaning he'll turn 20 around the midpoint of the 2023-24 campaign.

Where is Emoni Bates from?

Emoni Bates was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he attended Lincoln High School. He ended up graduating early to join Memphis, choosing the Tigers over Michigan State, Oregon, and even G-League Ignite.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.