Evan Mobley is a player whose stock is assuredly on the rise for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He’s only 21, but his defensive skill set knows few rivals. His frame needs to get stronger and have his offense catch up, but he is coming.
In year two, Mobley earned Defensive First Team honors and was the 20th player in history to do it.
There is no doubt Mobley will soon turn into a premier player, but it seems there is more pressure for it to happen now. The Cavaliers’ timeline moved up a year or two after adding Donovan Mitchell to the core via trade. In 2022-2023, the squad had its first 50+ win season and first playoff entry since LeBron James left for Lakerland in 2018.
Yet, the campaign ended abruptly in five games at the hands of the Knickerbockers. The Cavs weren’t ready physically or mentally, but the pain of defeats like that is usually the best teacher.
Next offseason (after the 2023-2024 campaign), Mobley will be eligible for a rookie extension that he should instantly get. Although, it will limit future roster flexibility because Garland, Mitchell and Jarrett Allen are all under contract for hefty dollars.
But that’s a year away. In a perfect world, apart from offseason training, Mobley would study the tape of three legends, two of the past and the last still active in his prime.
No. 1: Wes Unseld
Wes Unseld set ferocious legal screens to get himself and others open, plus he was an artist passing the ball. His outlet dimes that sparked fastbreaks were a weapon that only maximum hustle and length could disrupt.
The Cavaliers have the personnel, despite being the slowest team in the league, to play much quicker, and it can start with Mobley having more offensive liberties. In his two years as a Cav, Mobley recovered an average of 6.4 defensive rebounds per game. This number will climb, but I’d like to see more possessions of No. 4 tracking a miss and the backcourt players instinctually going deep like wideouts.
The Cavaliers had the lowest number of possessions in the league at 7,972. More outlet passes would appeal to the eye, and I predict teammates would enjoy working with a guy who can make that read. Mitchell and Darius Garland are certified scorers in the halfcourt. They’d be even more dangerous in the open court with one to none defenders in front.
Using the outlet is a surefire action to playing faster because the pass is always swifter than a man.
No. 2: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Staying with the theme of pushing the pace, the Greek Freak is another to emulate. This season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was tied with LeBron for the most fastbreak points (343).
James and Antetokounmpo race down the floor after picking up a rebound or a steal for easy points. This season, Mobley got more opportunities to take the ball up the court following an opponent’s miss, but the frequency of these plays needs to increase.
I’m sure it will as Mobley’s handle tightens, and his confidence rises as a result. Spida and DG could work as trailing snipers/cutters flanking No. 4 as he pierces the heart of the defense.
In halfcourt sets, mimicking the rage Antetokounmpo attacks the basket with is a good start. The Freak is a vertical threat after setting a pick, and he can blow by an opponent from up top without help. Next season, another feature I’m paying attention to is if the guards reward Mobley and Allen more often for all the screens that get handlers open.
Mobley also has to demand the ball on rim runs. He stands at 7-feet, with a 7-foot-4 wingspan. Most of the time, like a wide receiver, he just needs his playmaker to throw the ball in his vicinity.
Working on Antetokounmpo’s driving spin to avoid traffic in the lane isn’t a bad idea either. Additionally, if there is a trait to steal from Giannis, it’s how he seeks out mismatches. When it happens, it forces the defense to send help, and Giannis, at his size, has extra angles to elude cover. Mobley is just as tall but allegedly 28 pounds lighter currently.
No. 3: Kevin McHale
Every big man should have post moves. Mobley has decent tricks around the basket, but he is mainly a face-up big.
Post moves are the perfect emergency weapon when a rival defense has neutralized the ball movement or shut down a perimeter player.
Kevin McHale was as lethal a scorer as the league’s had with his back to the basket. He had hooks, up-and-unders, fadeaways, a ridiculous wingspan, and all the bells and whistles for a menacing post player.
With Evan learning more of these moves, it would guarantee him close to double-digit free throw attempts nightly. Players biting on fakes is a lousy habit across the league, and most wouldn’t know how to cover unreadable faints at close range.
Mastery of the post would get more doubles sent at Mobley too.
For Mobley to successfully use his back to the basket well, he needs to get stronger ASAP. He will have an advantage over shorter players, giving him a better look at the rim. Yet, there are some shorter players with acreage, like Draymond Green and PJ Tucker, who can prevent thinner players from getting to their spots.
Conclusion
This all might be wishful thinking. Trying to play more like Giannis could be as silly as Patroclus trying to fight like Achilles. How did that work out for him?
Or maybe I’m on the money, and what Antetokounmpo said on Nov. 25 isn’t just hot air. Then, he told Cleveland.com that Mobley can be better than him. I won’t rule it out. Giannis knows more game than I do.
If Mobley studies Unseld, Antetokounmpo and McHale and deploys their skill sets, he could start making a case to be the best player in the world. His defense is as good as anyone’s in the NBA. He can stop the ball on the perimeter by forcing a pass out, a bad shot, or a turnover, or he disrupts activity in the lane with length and explosion.
It’s all about the other side catching up, and when it does, the “ceiling is the roof.”