Sunday’s regular season finale versus the Charlotte Hornets was not a game of meaning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland clinched a playoff berth nearly two weeks ago, and this past Tuesday, they secured home court advantage in the first round, in which they’ll be set to face the New York Knicks in the No. 4-No. 5 matchup in the Eastern Conference.
So, as far as Sunday’s game went, the Cavaliers had a number of typical starters and regular rotational players out in that one, such as Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert. They were ruled out with seemingly minor ailments.
A couple of key players for the Cavs were in action, though, based on reportedly if players wanted to play some to keep their rhythm, with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen playing for Cleveland yesterday.
But, in the case with Mobley, in this sense, he and Allen elected to play, at least for some of the game. Allen was initially questionable, with a formal designation having been a groin strain, which he did miss a couple of games recently with, and in Mobley’s case, he was out in Cleveland’s game on Thursday at the Orlando Magic because of rest.
Mobley played 12 minutes in Cleveland’s regular season finale, in a 106-95 loss to Charlotte with several crucial players out for both teams, and in that time, Mobley had six points and five rebounds.
Sunday’s matinee game was an inconsequential one, but generally, it’s been so rewarding to watch Mobley, and fans should be excited about what’s to come for him in the playoffs.
Mobley has continually improved as the Cavs season has progressed, and one shouldn’t be worried about him in the playoffs.
In Mobley’s post-All-Star break play (20 games), he’s put up 17.5 points per game on 56.3 percent shooting, to go with 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. He also tacked on 2.0 blocks per contest in that stretch, and his plus-minus on average has been plus-6.7, which is second on the Cavaliers behind only Darius Garland (plus-8.6).
It’s been so impressive to see how comfortable Mobley has been offensively really since the turn of the calendar to 2023, as he’s been so assertive on that end of the floor, and his timing as a roller and cutter has steadily gotten better, coupled with his self creation.
Additionally, the second-year big has shown steady growth as a passer for the Cavaliers, and when you factor in his overall awareness on both ends, that ever-improving skill set from him has made Mobley even more valuable. Of course, one could never discount what he provides on defense, either, which has often leaped off the screen.
For his two-way impact, fans shouldn’t have reservations about Mobley in the playoffs ahead, even with his inexperience in competing under that spotlight. Sure, there might be tough moments here and there for him in his first playoff run, and Mobley is not quite 22 years old yet, so one would expect there to be some hiccups on occasion.
However, for the most part, with what this youngster has been able to do in a multitude of areas for the Cavs, and with his offensive game in mind, where him getting stronger has also helped, one shouldn’t be worried about his playoff outlook.
The inexperience is going to be there, and playoff basketball is more physical. That said, Mobley is so poised and a cerebral player that has shown he’s able to impact games in a ton of ways for Cleveland, and with his defensive abilities, he has proven to be more than capable in a variety of matchups.
The road is going to be tough, no matter what plays out looking beyond the Knicks series, should the Cavs prevail there, and a potential Milwaukee Bucks and/or Boston Celtics series to come later would be difficult, obviously.
Having said that, while some may have concerns, Mobley’s ability to play in games with multiple styles should have fans with the ultimate belief in him to deliver. He’s gotten better and better as his second season has worn on, and that great play should carry forward.