Emoni Bates returns to the court

Bates played his first game of the season after missing the start of the season with a knee injury.

Cleveland Cavaliers two-way wing Emoni Bates made his return to the court on Saturday. He missed the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery in October. Bates made his debut on Saturday for the Cleveland Charge in their matchup with the Wisconsin Herd.

Bates didn’t start and only played 23 and a half minutes. He scored 10 points and went 4-12 from the field which included going 2-9 from beyond the arc. Naturally, his first points of the season came from three.

It will take Bates some time to work his way back into things after coming off of knee surgery. Still, it was encouraging to have him back on the court. Bates’s shot remains intriguing. You’d like to see how Kenny Atkinson leverages that skill for the Cavs sometime in the future whether this season or further in the future.

The Charge won their second straight game against the Herd with a lopsided 116-94 victory. Cavs players Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr. participated in the win. Tyson contributed 16 points on 6-12 shooting with 7 boards, 6 assists, and 2 steals in 32 minutes. Porter added in 9 points on 4-8 shooting with 3 assists in 22 minutes.

JT Thor led the way for the Charge with 24 points on 9-15 shooting with 12 rebounds and a block.

Luke Travers was not active Saturday after providing a triple-double with 25 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds in Friday’s win.

The Cavs are slowly getting healthier. It seems as if Max Strus is going to return soon along with Bates. Even though Bates likely won’t impact the Cavs this season, this is an important developmental season for him. We’ll see what progress he’s made from last season.