Cavs: 3 2021 draft prospects who would complement CLE’s young core

Evan Mobley could be a Cavs unicorn

Evan Mobley is looking like the best big in this year’s class and has the potential to go top three in this year’s draft. Mobley is looked at as a “unicorn” due to his ability to score, rebound, ball handle, defend and shoot as a 7-footer, as KJG’s Corey Casey alluded to.

Through nine games with the USC Trojans, Mobley is averaging 15.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game on 58.0/41.7/62.7 percent shooting splits. And he seems to firmly be a top five prospect at this point, according to Sports Illustrated‘s Jeremy Woo.

Mobley has nice speed and agility for a 7-footer, making him a great mold of a modern NBA big. Mobley’s terrific coordination has been seen many times during this year, and he really looks like someone who knows that he is 7 feet tall. The advanced mechanics and athleticism that Mobley possesses give him tremendous offensive potential, and these abilities make Mobley an excellent fit for this team.

On the Cavaliers, Mobley’s ability to shoot the ball would open the offense more than Andre Drummond has been able to. Having the ability to have a 5-Out offense is big in the new age NBA and for slashers such as Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr., this 5-Out could lead to more points for them.

The case can be made that Mobley is a better fit than Drummond not only due to the spacing Mobley brings but due to the pick-and-roll ability, the ball-handling and non-chaotic play.

Defensively, Mobley’s 7-foot-4 wingspan gives him big-time potential as a rim protector. Mobley’s agility means that he also has the ability to guard the perimeter when need be, too. Seeing as Drummond’s mobility and shot-altering abilities have significantly improved the Cavaliers’ defense, using a top pick on Mobley in the 2021 NBA Draft makes sense.