Emoni Bates Has 1-Word Reaction To Notable Preseason

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have a great preseason, but they are still very happy with what they saw from rookie Emoni Bates.

Bates was electric throughout the preseason, especially during the final quarter of several games.

On Twitter, Mack Perry pointed out that Bates averaged 10.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists on 50% from the field and 45.5% from the three-point line during his four games.

Bates saw those stats and added his own comment: “Blessed.”

Blessed💯 https://t.co/ftDDTqBbqA

— Emoni Bates (@BatesEmoni) October 21, 2023

Bates feels blessed to be playing for the Cavaliers, and the team feels blessed to have him.

Bates was the No. 49 pick in the draft, which means that many people wrote him off as someone who would possibly get a few minutes here and there during the regular season.

It remains to be seen just how much time on the court he gets in 2023-24, but Bates has made a case for himself to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.

Bates is the sort of player who uses his youth in his favor.

He is a high-volume shooter who seems to always find his teammates with a ball.

He is very quick and capable of setting up a shot with lightning-fast speed, so he can catch and release in the blink of an eye.

Bates also has a very strong hunger to do well, which has become very apparent during his time in the Summer League and preseason.

This is exactly what the Cavaliers need.

They obviously have a lot of strong starting players, but they need to continue to fill the roster with depth.

Bates has added that depth during the preseason, and he can do so for the rest of the year too.