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Emoni Bates may not be the best rookie the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired

By Chad Porto

WICHITA, KS - MARCH 05: Craig Porter Jr. #3 of the Wichita State Shockers drives with the ball against Russel Tchewa #54 of the South Florida Bulls during the first half of a college basketball game at Charles Koch Arena on March 5, 2023 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
WICHITA, KS - MARCH 05: Craig Porter Jr. #3 of the Wichita State Shockers drives with the ball against Russel Tchewa #54 of the South Florida Bulls during the first half of a college basketball game at Charles Koch Arena on March 5, 2023 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Craig Porter Jr. from Wichita State.

The Cleveland Cavaliers really stretched with the decision to draft Emoni Bates. The young Eastern Michigan prospect has had a turbulent time over the last few years, going from the No. 1 recruit in the nation to struggling at EMU. The Cavs took him as a ‘just in case’ type of pick. He had the skill as a freshman in high school that made people think of Kevin Durant, but now he’s struggling to score against 22-year-olds who are going into nursing or culinary, not the NBA.

So it shouldn’t surprise you or anyone to hear that the Cleveland Cavaliers may have gotten a gem of a prospect but it wasn’t Bates, but Wichita State’s Craig Porter Jr. Porter went undrafted following the 2023 NBA Draft, but the Cavs made sure to know he was wanted.

Porter is a 23-year-old prospect, part of the reason he went undrafted, who only saw one season of serious play at Wichita. While he played three years there (after transferring from Vincennes University), it was only his senior season that he was given a larger role.

The Shockers (great name) went 17-15 with him as the best player. He had a decent stat line, scoring 13.5 points, with 6.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He also had solid shooting splits, .478/.363/.685, far better than what Bates put up.

Craige Porter Jr. may develop into a better player than Emoni Bates

Porter, a guard, is heavier than Bates, more athletic than Bates, and may just be a better prospect than Bates. His shooting is far more solid, he has a history of winning baseball (going 62-7 at Vincennes), and has shown a willingness to improve his game from level to level.

Now, I’m not saying Porter is going to be the savior of the franchise, nor do I think he’ll even see a lot of action as a rookie. I’m just saying I feel better trusting my team’s fate to someone like Porter, as opposed to Bates.

As Porter has had to grind his way into the spot he has, while Bates fell dramatically to his. Bates is already a man with a laundry list of concerns, which is not something that can be said about Porter.

Next. 4 players the Cleveland Cavaliers should draft tonight in the 2023 NBA Draft. dark

  • Published on 06/23/2023 at 19:30 PM
  • Last updated at 06/23/2023 at 19:30 PM
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