The Cleveland Cavaliers believe that they landed one of the steals of the 2023 NBA Draft when they selected Emoni Bates with the 49th pick. Bates was one of the most hyped-up high school prospects of all time, so it’s clear that, despite struggling in his transition to the college game, he certainly has the talent to emerge from the trenches and shock the world.
However, the Cavs rookie may need to beef up on his social media awareness skills. Bates, perhaps just appreciating the recognition he received after a strong showing against the Toronto Raptors during 2023 NBA Summer League, reposted an Instagram story that appeared to praise his play. The problem was that the story he reposted contained the wrong stat line, making it seem like he put up a better showing than he actually did.
Of course, this is not too big of a deal, even if the Cavs youngster just put up a paltry in comparison 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one block on 5-12 shooting. Perhaps Emoni Bates was in a rush as he was scrolling through his Instagram mentions, so he didn’t pay attention anymore to the fact that the story he re-shared contained some inaccurate information.
Alas, the damage was already done. Bates now finds himself on the receiving end of some lighthearted ribbing from fans on social media, with some fans finding it incredibly hard to believe that the Cavs rookie wouldn’t take at least a few seconds of his time to double check.
Still, this should not put a damper on how well Emoni Bates has played for the Cavs thus far in Summer League. He may not be the most efficient scorer at the moment, as he has shot just 33 percent from the field through his two games.
But the eye test shows that Bates, in a more complementary role, could flourish given his activity on the glass and on the passing lanes. And on Monday night, Bates shot 7-11 from the field, including 5-8 from deep, notching 21 points to go along with two steals and two blocks during the Cavs’ victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
However, Bates also has to improve his social media game, lest he finds himself as the butt of the joke once more.
