Cavs potential 2021 stretch big target #1: Evan Mobley
Someone that would make a lot of sense if the Cavs were to fall in the lottery again would be power forward/center Evan Mobley out of to-be USC and from Rancho Christian School in Temecula, California. Mobley, who had 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.6 assists per game in his final high school campaign, is someone who comes in at 7-foot and 205 pounds, while he has a wingspan of 7-foot-4.
Evan Mobley is a terrific athlete that moves extremely well for a big man, but his game expands outside the paint. He’s someone that has shown that can mostly hit a 16-foot mid-range shot, but has also shown he can hit three-point shots at times as well. He has the potential and should be able to improve on his shot behind the arc.
Kevin Love has been one of the better stretch bigs in the league for a long time, but is well-known as a defensive liability. Mobley has a chance to be pretty special on the defensive end and obviously would be better then Love on the side of the court, for comparison. Mobley projects as a really good shot blocker, while having some switchability on the perimeter, which is important.
The expiring Tristan Thompson, even if he is back next season, seemingly won’t be around after next season, so that would leave the Cavs without a big that can switch and defend on the perimeter, at least to an extent (if the Cavs draft a wing) other than Larry Nance Jr.
Mobley is someone that reminds me some of Chris Bosh. Mobley needs to get stronger and add more muscle, but he’s an athletic 7-footer that moves extremely well. His game expands to mid-range now a bunch, and he has the ability to expand it more from three-point land, and has a chance to be really really good defensively.
I’m not sure the Darius Garland-Collin Sexton backcourt will work long-term, but if the Cavs draft Isaac Okoro this year, then fell in the 2021 NBA Draft and added Mobley, that would be putting the right players around Garland-Sexton to help put them in a position to succeed. You could theoretically have certain lineups that had Garland-Sexton-Kevin Porter Jr.-with Okoro playing the 4 and Mobley at the 5.
Again, Love will be on his last legs by the time the 2021-22 season rolls around and while Andre Drummond is obviously a more traditional center, it doesn’t make a ton of sense to give a traditional center big money.
That’s assuming he’s set to be a free agent after next season, of which he’s reportedly highly likely to pick up his $28.8 million player option, and even if the Cavaliers were to still have Love for 2021-22, drafting a stretch big like Mobley could be very wise.
If the Cavs not only miss out on the top guy in Cunningham, but fall out of the top three, drafting a guy like Mobley, who can be pretty special defensively, but also stretch the floor, makes a lot of sense with Love aging and Drummond being here a while being uncertain.
After emphasizing that near future outlook for Cleveland’s bigs, and if Mobley is not available, feasibly, this second potential 2021 draft target would be a logical one, too.