Where does Cavs rookie Evan Mobley stand in the DPOY race?
When the Cleveland Cavaliers were gifted the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft last summer, I got a bad feeling in my stomach. I had recently just got back into watching a lot of NBA games, and had even recently been looking at players the Cavs could have drafted this past offseason.
Immediately I was drawn to Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, who are score first, versatile guards. Conversely, one player I was not very high on was Evan Mobley from USC. He’s a thin 7-footer with limited range, and an offensive arsenal that isn’t that different from most traditional bigs, in the scoring sense.
With that being said, I was fully aware the type of defensive versatility Mobley would bring to the Cavaliers this season. For that reason, among others, Mobley is the clear frontrunner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award.
He’s averaging 15 points per game, while grabbing eight rebounds, and swatting away nearly two shots a night. I could talk forever about how Mobley should improve his range, upgrade his arsenal, and get better at the free throw line, but I think it’s time to take a look at just how good Mobley has been defensively this season.
Let’s see if he has a case for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Sorry folks, another Ladder
I know people are getting a little bit tired of reading my weekly rants about the Kia NBA Rookie Ladder. So to take your minds off that ladder, let’s switch to the Defensive Player of the Year Ladder, which, yes, is a thing. Instead of weekly, these rankings come out once a month, so let’s time travel all the way back to November to take a look at the first DPOY Ladder.
Draymond Green, who shoots like he’s wearing a backpack, debuted in the number one spot, and for good reason. I don’t like Green personally, but he’s a hell of a defender, and one of the only guys who can truly guard every position on the court.
Following him is the always scary Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers. Turner has led the league in blocks per game three out of the four previous years. Following the Pacer, is Gary Trent Jr. of the Toronto Raptors. With Ben Simmons still not playing a game this season, the third and final spot according to this ladder was given to Gary Trent Jr.
He started off the year somewhat under the radar, but he has become a lockdown perimeter defender. He’s third in the NBA in steals per game with 1.9.
Unlike the rookie ladder, this one only has three rungs, and they were taken by the three players in the previous paragraph. Their next category is “The Next Five,” and Cavalier fans should be loving that section. In the first DPOY ladder, Mobley was the only rookie to be mentioned.
Not only has he been a great shot blocker and post defender, but there is also a case to be made that his closeouts on perimeter shooters are some of the best in the league.
Some of the other players in the next five list include Rudy Gobert, Anthony Davis, and Matisse Thybulle. So for the rookie to mentioned in the same sentence as some of those great defenders is a win already.