Kevin Garnett. Anthony Davis. Chris Bosh. These are just some of the NBA greats that Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been compared to. He has all the tools to be the next great big man, as he is tailor-made for the modern game due to his offensive versatility and defensive prowess.
There has not been this much hype surrounding a young player in Cleveland since the kid from Akron was selected with the number one overall pick in 2003. President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman called Mobley a “transformative talent”. Darius Garland calls him a “seven-foot unicorn.” There are truly not enough superlatives to describe Mobley.
Last season, he finished as the runner-up for Rookie of the Year, even though most in the basketball world thought he should have been the winner. Nonetheless, Mobley established himself as one of the best young players in the league and one of the best defenders in the league as well. The goal for year two was to continue to build on that and lead the Cavs back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and he was able to do that.
So how did Mobley grade out for the Cavs this season? Let’s dive in.
In our next edition of KJG player grades, we’ll evaluate Evan Mobley’s play throughout the 2022-2023 season.