@cavanagh when you say Bates will play in NBA games next season, do you mean games that will actually count?
regular season games yes. Again, last year guys that signed these dels appeared in 20-25 regular season games. They don't give these contracts out to dudes they don't expect to be on the roster playing games.
Gladly bet he plays in games next year
I had to look and see who Bates signed with. He literally signed with the worst team in the entire NBA so I actually agree with you, he'll get a shot.
Dude will fail miserably because he isn't good enough to play in the NBA, but the Nuggets are so bad, Bates might start there.
🤣
Well we all now know you have zero clue about the NBA. There is a guy called Joker, many people think he is the best player in the world, should watch a game or two next decade before you speak on the NBA next time 
@cavanagh when you say Bates will play in NBA games next season, do you mean games that will actually count?
regular season games yes. Again, last year guys that signed these dels appeared in 20-25 regular season games. They don't give these contracts out to dudes they don't expect to be on the roster playing games.
Gladly bet he plays in games next year
I had to look and see who Bates signed with. He literally signed with the worst team in the entire NBA so I actually agree with you, he'll get a shot.
Dude will fail miserably because he isn't good enough to play in the NBA, but the Nuggets are so bad, Bates might start there.
🤣
Well we all now know you have zero clue about the NBA. There is a guy called Joker, many people think he is the best player in the world, should watch a game or two next decade before you speak on the NBA next time
I was just coming here to say I got the Nuggets and Jazz confused and that’s on me. My bad. No idea why I confuse those 2 teams but I did.
So….are we gonna bet how much time Bates sees on the floor with the Nuggets?
He MIGHT, I repeat MIGHT be an end of the bench guy in Denver.
I agree but he made a lot of money.
@plaxico80 Not the best path to build an argument on this one... I believe Romeo, for a short period of time, was in the Jazz organization...and couldn't make the team. And making NBA teams, for guys at Bates and Romeo's level, is often MUCH more about team needs, fit, etc... than how good of an overall team they're trying to make. No clue how Bates will fit with Denver? I suspect if he doesn't become a better defender, that he won't stick. They need stud perimeter 3 and D guys alongside Joker and Murray. One of the reasons they got rid of Porter was he wasn't very good defensively.
@plaxico80 Not the best path to build an argument on this one... I believe Romeo, for a short period of time, was in the Jazz organization...and couldn't make the team. And making NBA teams, for guys at Bates and Romeo's level, is often MUCH more about team needs, fit, etc... than how good of an overall team they're trying to make. No clue how Bates will fit with Denver? I suspect if he doesn't become a better defender, that he won't stick. They need stud perimeter 3 and D guys alongside Joker and Murray. One of the reasons they got rid of Porter was he wasn't very good defensively.
It's more than just about Bates not being able to defend. He's also going to have to be a guard at the next level and not a wing and Bates is very loose with the ball. Not a good ball handler at all. Decent passer, nothing special. He found his shot at Mizzou but that won't be enough to get him even a tiny amount of minutes in Denver. Jalen Hood-Schifino is 10x the prospect Bates will ever be and he will very likely bounce between Philly and the G-League until the NBA is done with him forever....and JHS was a top 15 pick. I see no way Bates sticks long term at the next level.
The only real undrafted free agent I see making a team's rotation at this point and playing a good amount of minutes is Goldin in Miami. They need a banger there to help Adebayo and Goldin has an NBA body, a great work ethic and improved every year he was in college (at both FAU and UM.) Ware is expected to be a star in Miami but he's more of a shot blocker and finesse player on offense. Ware (even though he's gained weight) is not a banger. Goldin is.
@plaxico80 I don't know if he will be able to, but if he can knock down shots consistently, he'll have a chance to play with Joker. But, to your point, he will have to improve on what have been weaknesses for him thus far. Consistency shooting, defense, being strong with the ball. Its not just Cav that praises his mindset and work ethic... its probably why he's getting a shot. But I've long though that Bates might be much more about beating his chest, showing up and showing everyone he's working...than actually having the motor, actually being the tenacious worker he appears to be. Because if he truly were those things, why hasn't he become a better defender? Why hasn't he become a better ball handler? Why was he a streaky shooter? All of those things can be worked out of your system.
And then the flip side of all this...if he truly is a dawg, truly is a grinder, truly is working his ass off when no one is watching... then he's probably just not good enough. Either reason, those guys don't generally stick in the NBA unless they're bigger and better athletes than Bates is.
I didn't think Langford was very good in his one year here. I know he scored 16.5 ppg but he was 29-134 or something like that from three. Just the epitome of selfish in my opinion and wasn't held accountable by Miller which was just as bad. They were 19-16 that year so they weren't a good team but he didn't raise them up, either. Just didn't seem like a winning player to me.
agreed. He really didn't impress me. I posted the other day that I almost don't remember him in a Hoosier uniform. That's how unimpressive he was to me. He had talent yes but as you said selfish talent. As far as Scoop being better than him, at this point I'd say it's about a draw. If Scoop can hang on with someone and play a role for the next several years he wins that argument. I don't see it happening and Romeo got 5 years cause well a first round pick gets that generally mostly because the team doesn't want to write it off just yet or the Gm doesn't want to eat crow fast enough. But TBH I think they both are rather marginal/negligible as far as talent is concerned on the collegiate level and certainly professional.
@seyton How good Romeo actually was in his year at IU has always been a tough one for me to figure out. He did a lot of great things. He played through some injuries. He actually shot the ball a little better as the year wore on, and as he got used to the injuries. He was a very, very underrated defender.
But, he was used HEAVILY, he wasn't a good overall shooter at all, and our team was mediocre. So were we mediocre mostly because our best overall player was inefficent and maybe overrated? Or were we mediocre because Romeo didn't get enough help? Morgan was a stud that year. But after him, the rest of the team was comprised of either very one dimensional players. Or guys that struggled mightily with consistency and effort.
New Albany was a combined 100-10 during Romeo's 4 years. They won 4 sectional titles, 2 regional titles, and 1 state title. So Romeo showed then he's capable of leading consistent winning teams. High school is very different than the B10, but there is an element of relativeness to it.
In the end... probably a little bit of both. I think Romeo, because of his size, athleticism, smoothness...probably did tend to get overrated in his career. Even Brad Stevens did it, and he's one of the smartest modern basketball minds in all of basketball. But there was legitimate talent and desire there, without question.
I agree but he made a lot of money.
the things Romeo was great at were making money and not trying. Man that O face was the most punch able face I’ve ever watched. I use to just want to scream. TRY!!!
Are there spots in the league now for No3 NoD guys? Bates has to find his 3 point stroke, at a minimum, or at least show them a flash of making some, or he has no chance. Too many guys out there capable of making them, that are also better defenders than he is. The Nuggets don't need a ball dominant guard, that's inefficient offensively. Murray and Jokic handle the ball most of the time. And I can't imagine he's impressing anyone else right now.
Austin Rivers summed it up really well in his podcast recently. Most teams already have "alpha" players that are established stars that they use heavily offensively. So 95% of what they're looking for in Summer League, drafts outside the top 2-3 picks, etc... are guys that compliment their Alphas, and fill in the cracks they need filled. That's why "3 and D" guys are so popular and coveted, right now. I'm not sure Bates is a consistent or good enough scorer, to fill that 2nd unit scoring guard role. Look at a guy like Jones-Garcia, playing for Spurs summer league team. He's a much better version of Bates in that role, and he's struggling to make a non playoff team.
Bates may still get some time this season for someone, but unless he can become a more consistent shooter, and a better defender and ball handler... he has no chance of sticking.
@iunorth glad those goal posts keep moving. “ Might get some time for someone this year”. Sounds a lot different than no chance he ever plays in the NBA!
@cavanagh I don’t believe I’ve ever typed those words. Don’t believe I’ve ever really argued that he won’t play more in the NBA than Romeo. I think they’re both good, but flawed players. And since you will assuredly be on here checking receipts when Bates finds his shot. It seems necessary to talk about his 3-20 start to his NBA career. Feels very similar to his 0-fer February stretch at IU. If he was as much of a dawg as you claim, he’d have been repping his way out of these kinds of slumps.
I do hope he climbs out of it soon though. Always liked him. A lot more before you became his spokesman, but still like him.
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