Cavs: Four reasonable predictions for the 2021-22 season
Cavs 2021-22 prediction #3: Mobley finishes in a close second for Rookie of the Year
I’m not going to lie, I did not like the Mobley selection. I thought Jonathan Kuminga would have been a great fit for the Cavaliers, as well as Moses Moody. Although, I was wrong about this one. Mobley looked very skinny and a little bit out of his element in Summer League. Since coming into training camp and the preseason, he has the look of an NBA Rookie of the Year.
He looks like a great defender already, and with a couple of games under his belt, he could quickly become a top ten rim protector in the NBA. On top of that his offensive game looks ahead of schedule at this point. He’s expanding his shooting range, and is a beast around the basket.
There have been more than a couple of times in preseason that Mobley and Ricky Rubio have hooked up for an alley-oop, and that will play out in the regular season with those two and Garland. He really looks like a special talent, and I’m sure Cavs fans are excited to watch Mobley play.
Related Story. Cavs: Rubio has already been impressed with Mobley's growth. light
With all that being said, I just don’t see how Jalen Green doesn’t win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He’s on a team that is in full rebuild mode like the Cavaliers. But, Jalen Green’s offensive arsenal is astonishing. He can shoot well from deep, drive to the lane and finish, and he attracts so much attention from defenders that he will become a good distributor.
I think Mobley will have the best overall season, considering I’m expecting him to become a top-five rim protector by the end of the season. But in the end, I think Green takes home the award. Everyone knows, scoring sells tickets!