Cavs' Emoni Bates happy to have huge expectations lifted, be under Donovan Mitchell's wing

INDEPENDENCE — With the crushing weight of massive expectations lifted, Cavaliers rookie Emoni Bates explained Monday he has never been happier throughout his basketball journey.

“I was in a spotlight since I was 12 years old,” Bates said after a Cavs summer league practice at Cleveland Clinic Courts.

Bates isn't being relied upon to become a franchise-changing player after the Cavs picked him in the second round (No. 49 overall) of the NBA Draft less than two weeks ago. He can spend time developing, likely with the G League's Cleveland Charge.

And although Bates is certainly in the honeymoon phase with the Cavs, one reason to believe he'll love Cleveland for the foreseeable future is the relationship he has with All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. They have known each other for about two years and share a basketball trainer, Chris Brickley.

“For me to just see [Mitchell] work out and just getting my information from him and advice, it means a lot,” Bates said. “I already had a bond with him before I got here, so I know when he gets here I know I'm going to learn a lot and just be under his wing.”

Mitchell has gotten to know not only Bates, but also his family.

“Excited to have him. He's going to be a big part of what we do here, and I'm excited to see him to get going,” Mitchell said on June 24 during a celebrity softball game hosted by Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II at Classic Park in Eastlake.

Bates said he's had NBA dreams since he was 3 years old, but he lost his joy of the game after his lone season at the University of Memphis unraveled and at times at Eastern Michigan University, where he played this past season and averaged 19.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 30 games as a sophomore wing.

In the eyes of Bates, being drafted by the Cavs was both a blessing and humbling. He said there were “a lot of tears” when he and his family learned his new team on draft night.

“I love it right now for sure 'cause I just get to learn. I just get to enjoy basketball,” Bates said. “Like I said, there's no expectations.

“I found my joy back for sure, especially this summer, just with my pre-draft [process], having the people around me, doing therapy.”

There were heavy expectations on Bates, 19, when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school sophomore from Ypsilanti, Michigan, and drew comparisons to NBA superstar Kevin Durant. Bates said he tried to not pay too much attention to the hype.

But at Memphis, Bates averaged just 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds. He missed the final nine games of the regular season and Memphis' three games in the American Athletic Conference Tournament due to a lower back injury. He returned for the team's two NCAA Tournament games and scored just eight combined points.

Bates transferred from Memphis, but before his only season at Eastern Michigan began, he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge. During the pre-draft process, Bates told Shams Charania in an interview for the Stadium sports network he was pulled over by police after missing a stop sign on his way to get a haircut. Bates told Charania neither the car he drove nor the gun found in it were owned by him.

Speaking to local media for the first time, Bates said he has learned about maturity and off-court intangibles. He expressed confidence he's ready to be a professional.

The Cavs agreed enough to draft him. Bates revealed he had his final pre-draft workout with Cleveland and departed with a good feeling after a strong performance.

“It was all smiles when I left,” he said.

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Now the 6-foot-9 Bates said his top priorities are improving on the defensive end of the floor, increasing his strength and gaining weight. He's 182 pounds and wants to weigh 195.

Of course, picking the brains of Cavs veterans like Mitchell is another item on the to-do list.

“I'm with talented players. I can learn from everybody,” Bates said.

For the first time in years, Bates can take his time absorbing it all without the pressure of great expectations.

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Emoni Bates eager to be under wing of Cavs' Donovan Mitchell