Cavs dominate poll of NBA execs: Only team with two players on the list
As impressive as it is to see Evan Mobley at No. 4 on this list, and Darius Garland at No. 9, the most impressive thing of all is that the Cleveland Cavaliers had two different players land on this list. That’s something no other team can boast.
Luka Doncic was the runaway leader for the list, finishing first on all 15 ballots, but the Dallas Mavericks don’t have a second young star even in consideration for this list. From there some players can boast a teammate who would have been in the “honorable mentions” category, such as Jayson Tatum with Jaylen Brown, or Zion Williamson with Brandon Ingram, but none had that teammate receive even a single vote for this list.
The Cavs have a foundational defensive piece in Mobley and an offensive one in Garland, a truly special combination that blows any other team out of the water. Add in Jarrett Allen as one of the league’s best young centers, and Donovan Mitchell one of the best 26-year-old players in the league, and it’s no wonder the Cavs and their fans are excited about what is to come.
Mobley and Garland will continue to be eligible for this poll for multiple years, so we can track their progress up the list and up the NBA standings. At least in the eyes of NBA executives, the Cavs have a young duo to build upon that is better than any other in the entire league.