The Cleveland Cavaliers ended up making what I thought was a no-brainer move in selecting USC big Evan Mobley at #3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Mobley is not a floor spacer in the traditional sense yet, and did not show a ton of three-point shooting ability with the Trojans, but he did show flashes in high school/AAU, and his stroke at this point is fine enough to lead one to think he could be. Mobley has good touch in other areas too, and him being able to create for himself off-the-bounce is not something that should be discounted.
The 7-footer has guard-like qualities too, with his nice handle for a big, and his passing vision/tool box has me pumped to see how he can aid other Cavs players.
Plus, though he does need to put on weight gradually in coming years, as he’s listed at only 215 pounds currently, that is easily correctable in time, and Mobley’s ability to sit and slide to contain perimeter threats should be crucial. The same goes for rim protection; he had 2.9 blocks per game last season, and as a rotator, he’ll make his presence felt a bunch from the outset in that way/as a shot alterer.
Nonetheless, it didn’t appear to be a complete lock that Mobley would be slotted in from the outset as a certainty to start for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen, even with the two seeming set to play together a considerable amount, was locked in at the 5, but Kevin Love and before they traded him, Larry Nance Jr. could’ve been in the running to start there, theoretically.
Love last season only was active in 25 games because of a right calf injury, and was forced to withdraw from the Olympic Team before they headed to Tokyo, but he could’ve been in-play to possibly still at least start games.
Nance, meanwhile, did a pretty solid job last season when he was healthy as a starting 4 replacement for Love, but his last season was hampered by injuries, too. And Cleveland, while it was reportedly mutual between Nance and the team, dealt him to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade with the Chicago Bulls.
Markkanen could still maybe be a starting 4 at the season’s outset, but it doesn’t seem that way.
Also, per a report/comments in a mail bag set of responses from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Mobley appears to be a near-lock to start from the jump. That spurred on a sense of finality, to me.
Here was from that report/how Love even before the Markkanen acquisition seemed set to have a reduced role, and that Mobley is again, practically set to start for Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and company.
"“Trimming Love’s minutes is the only way to ensure consistent playing time for Cleveland’s core frontcourt pieces — Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Markkanen.Right or wrong, Bickerstaff is approaching the situation as if he has 96 available minutes at power forward and center.Allen will start at center. Pencil Mobley in at the 4. That’s all but certain. There’s almost no way to keep the most important — and most talented — piece of this rebuild out of the starting lineup provided Mobley looks competent and capable during camp. Allen and Mobley are not only the frontcourt of the future but also the present.”"
Cavs: Mobley looks set to start from the jump.
Based on Fedor’s report there, one would imagine that Mobley is going to be getting starting PT. Fedor did state that with Mobley, Allen and Markkanen, that per his sources, there’s “initial conversations” about the three receiving between roughly 26-30 minutes per game.
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Even with Markkanen’s shooting capabilities though, I do get where Cleveland’s coming from in likely starting Mobley. With Lauri still receiving significant PT anyway, it’s sensible to have Mobley in there, to get him acclimated to playing with Allen, and with guys such as Sexton and Garland.
And as we alluded to, Mobley could provide another viable rim protector for the Cavaliers, and with his versatility, could aid Okoro as well, along with others, such as Dylan Windler/Cedi Osman in other lineups.
I do believe that Mobley can provide a crucial playmaking element at the 4/5 in his minutes-share as well, and with his ball handling, he could be a boost for the Cavs in the transition game. That could help free up shooters on the perimeter, or cutters such as Okoro/Lamar Stevens as well.
We’d have to see if Mobley will get some PT with Dean Wade, who, while I like him, could be expendable with the Markkanen addition, and he’s non-guaranteed. Stevens, conversely, I’d more so expect to stick around, because of him as a rotational big wing defender that can match up against 4s.
Granted, as a last side note, as far as Markkanen, veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein did recently suggest via his Substack that Lauri could stick around/be developed with Cleveland, but conversely, that Markkanen could seemingly be a trade candidate, with his deal being team-friendly and movable if needed. In a potential Ben Simmons deal, Markkanen could feasibly be involved, noted Stein. Stein reported how the Cavs are still continuing to keep their hat in the ring for a possible Simmons trade, too.
Although frankly, given that one of the likes of Collin Sexton or Darius Garland would seemingly need to be included, perhaps Isaac Okoro/a different piece and maybe multiple future picks, it’s tough to foresee that being likely. Fedor did state in his report how Cleveland could maybe be a team involved in a Simmons deal to pry away a piece, such as with Allen, albeit did note that Cleveland does have Simmons interest.
Again however, with Fedor’s report in there heavily involving Markkanen, and other clubs still likely being more serious Simmons considers, I wouldn’t expect Simmons to be on the Cavs next. It’s not something I’m personally crazy about, either.
Circling back, it does seem that as was touched on, that Mobley is a near-lock to start for the Cavalliers, and I could see the young core being more than on-board with that.
Mobley is going to have some growing pains offensively, as rookie bigs do, but I do believe even early on, the star potential will continually pop on both ends for him.