Cavs’ plan for Evan Mobley should be sweet music to fans’ ears
By Dan Gilinsky
This season, Cleveland Cavaliers fans are expecting big things from Evan Mobley, as they should. He affected games in a variety of ways in his rookie year, en route to posting a robust stat line of 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks per contest.
Coming into last season, expectations were high for him, to be fair. He was the third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by Cleveland, was one of the top prospects in that class, and he appeared to have an incredibly high ceiling.
Even with lofty expectations coming into the league with the Cavaliers, Mobley still exceeded those, at least in the minds of many it seemed. He was the runner-up in the NBA’s Rookie of the Year voting, losing to the Toronto Raptors’ Scottie Barnes by a narrow margin, and Mobley was one of the crucial reasons for Cleveland’s resurgence in 2021-22.
With that said, there were some tough stretches here and there for Mobley, on the offensive end, more so, as there are for all rookies. Despite that, by and large, he did demonstrate great touch on the interior last season, and there were plenty of sequences where his mid-range feel led to quality shots for him via self creation.
But, in Mobley’s second season to come in 2022-23, it’s apparent that many believe he can take his offensive game up a notch, myself included. After a full offseason where he was able to hone in on shot creation, and reportedly worked extensively on his three-point shooting, the Cavs want him to showcase more in his offensive repetoire in Year 2.
That expectation was further solidified, regarding Mobley’s outlook, in a recent report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, too.
"“The Cavs are planning to unleash Mobley in a variety of ways on the offensive end, wanting him to play with a freer mind. They’re urging him to yank down rebounds and push, tapping into his guard background. They’ve asked him to be more aggressive and vocal. They’ve sharpened his footwork and given him the green light as a 3-point shooter — even though that doesn’t mean becoming a full-time spacer.Mobley shot 29-of-92 (25%) from deep last season. Cleveland’s decision-makers believe Mobley can one day become a 36-40% 3-point shooter because of his natural form, soft touch and incredible work ethic.”"
Now, Fedor did also express in his report/interview how Mobley will be in varying spots offensively, and he’ll be initiating at times as a driver and secondary playmaker it seems, hence when he noted how Mobley won’t necessarily be a “full-time spacer.”
"“Sometimes Mobley will be in the Dunker Spot. Other times, he will become an offensive hub, with the freedom to initiate from the top of the key or the elbow, using his size, speed, length and added strength to dribble into the lane against retreating, overmatched defenders, something Mobley’s veteran teammate saw firsthand during training camp.‘It’s been part fun playing against him in scrimmages and part terror though because when he gets a full head of steam headed down the floor, he can either pull up for that midrange jump shot or he attacks the rim like a bulldog,” Robin Lopez said. “It’s so difficult to guard.'”"
This Cavs’ plan for Mobley should be sweet music to fans’ ears.
Last year, as we touched on, Mobley was very impressive, and defensively, he looks to already be among the league’s elite. His fluidity, intelligence, and shot blocking all led to him being invaluable on that end of the floor for Cleveland, even as a first-year player.
In his second season, however, as Fedor’s report/interview laid out, the USC product should be able to take it up a notch on offense.
The ankle sprain he had been dealing with before playing in Cleveland’s preseason finale at the Orlando Magic isn’t something to be that concerned about, either, as he should be all good coming into the year.
And based on him seemingly working tirelessly in the offseason on his shot creation, and with the interior and mid-range touch he demonstrated in Year 1, I’d look for him to level up with more experience. Along with that, him putting on added muscle will only aid his finishing.
Granted, the three-point shooting is an area where he’ll need to be more respectable, but with his stroke in mind, in catch-and-shoots, the team urging him to pull without hesitation should pay off. More viable secondary playmaking this season should make a difference for him there, too, for what it’s worth.
Generally speaking, though, it’s nice to know that the team will be utilizing the 21-year-old big in a multitude of ways. With his feel and movement skills for a player that’s 6-foot-11, that can help create mismatches in a number of areas on the floor for him, which should enable him to establish rhythm game-to-game.
Coupled with the scoring in that realm, it’ll be great to see Mobley have more secondary playmaking opportunities. His vision to find shooters and at times big-to-big feeds to Jarrett Allen should be more regularly on display this season, and that can help alleviate some pressure on Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
Moreover, it’s safe to expect that we should see a Year 2 leap from Evan, and this season, the hype surrounding him will only continue to build nationally.