3 Cleveland Cavaliers who have exceeded expectations this year

3 Cleveland Cavaliers who have exceeded expectations: The Young Phenom

On the surface, it isn’t immediately clear that Evan Mobley is exceeding expectations. He is averaging just 14.8 points per game, less than the 15 he averaged as a rookie, and the ever-important 3-point shooting is at 24.3 percent this season, hardly the leap forward many hoped for.

Yet look a little closer and you can see a player who is still growing, who has harnessed his defensive gifts and who is excelling in his role. Playing on a team with Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, there aren’t innumerable touches to go around. Mobley may be scoring the same as last season but he is doing so with a lower usage rate. His true-shooting percentage went up from 54.9 percent to 60.2 percent.

The Cavs don’t need Mobley to score 25 points per game right now, and he isn’t forcing shots to get his points. Instead, he has been an integral piece in the Cavs’ elite puzzle. Defensively he has continued to excel, leading the league in defensive win-shares. Last season when Jarrett Allen was out the Cavs’ defense crumbled; this season Mobley helped to stabilize it and the Cavs picked up a number of marquee wins without Allen, including when Mobley took on Joel Embiid and won.

What’s scary is that Mobley has plenty more growth inside of him, and his trajectory remains that of a truly special player. When you add that to role players like Lamar Stevens stepping up and Donovan Mitchell balling out, it’s no wonder that this team is exceeding expectations.