After preparing for so long for the 2021 NBA Draft, it’s crazy how fast it blew by. When it came time to make a selection, the Cleveland Cavaliers made the smart choice in drafting Evan Mobley.
He’s a textbook rim protector, along with being able to guard multiple positions. On the offensive end of the floor, Mobley can play back-to-the basket and his shooting showed a lot of promise at USC.
Mobley will bring a lot skills to the table, so now it’s up to the front office and coaching staff to maximize his potential.
To that point though, there were three reasons in particular as to why Cleveland made the right call in selecting Mobley.
#1: It’s about quality, not quantity for the Cavs
The Cavs had only one draft pick during this cycle. Could they have bought a second-round pick? It’s likely they could have swung a deal to swoop in and grab a guy like Jason Preston or even another big, like Charles Bassey. However, the main takeaway here is that the Cavs got a lot of value with their one and only pick.
Mobley is the type of rim-protecting big who you can build around. Because of his versatility, he should pair quite well with Jarrett Allen. In the end, the Cavs made one draft pick. But, I’d argue that the Cavs had a better draft than the New York Knicks, who made two picks in 2021.
After drafting Mobley the Cavs have a valuable future star on their team for the first time since LeBron James left for the second time.
#2: Mobley will make everyone around him on the Cavs better
Not only did the Cavaliers draft a high-first round pick, but Mobley is also a player who helps create for those around him. Darius Garland‘s game could be taken to a new level with Mobley and Allen in the frontcourt. Guys like Isaac Okoro and even Larry Nance Jr. (if he sticks around) will thrive while Mobley is distracting defenses.
It’s certainly difficult to make those around you better on offense. With that being said, Mobley is a special talent.
And he’s the type of player that also makes the defense around him better. Okoro can now lock down on certain assignments. Even so, Okoro’s job just got a lot easier. Just the idea of Mobley manning the paint alongside Allen on defense, should get all Cavs fans excited.
#3: Mobley is a franchise building block for the Cavs
It’s very possible that Evan Mobley could become one of the best bigs in the NBA over the next couple of years. If his shot improves like we hope it will, Mobley will be a force to be reckoned with in all facets of the game. The Cavs ended up with Evan Mobley instead of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, and they might be better off for it.
While the offensive star potential of Jalen Green is fun to think about, the Cavs may have selected the better building block. In my opinion, it’s easier to build around a big man. Right away Mobley is a great defender. He’s also a solid rebounder, and has real touch around the rim.
By building through Mobley, the Cavs can protect most of their main group of guys. General manager Koby Altman has the ability to turn this into even more of a wonderful offseason.
In the end, even though I tried not to, I liked the Evan Mobley pick. He really has the potential to be a star big man in today’s NBA. In my opinion it’s much harder to find a rim-protecting big with huge offensive upside, rather than a guard who can score in bunches.
We have yet to hear, or see, how much time Mobley will get in the starting lineup this year. But while I did question if he could start early on if picked by Cleveland, if the Cavs want to keep pushing towards contention, they need more guys like Evan Mobley, and maybe he should right the jump.