Cavs Player Grades: All about growth for Evan Mobley
By Ismail Sy
Evaluating Mobley’s defensive play and his overall grade
In two seasons, Mobley has already established himself as one of the best defenders in the NBA.
He was the anchor of the best defense in the league, but also the youngest player in NBA history to be a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, and he was selected for the All-Defensive First Team. Mobley was first in contested threes, third in contested shots, 10th in blocks, and opponents shot a measly 42% from the field against him during the regular season.
His defensive versatility has made the Cavs one of the best defensive teams in the league for the past two seasons. He kept up his elite level of defensive play in the playoffs as well, as he shut down Knicks All-NBA forward Julius Randle. When guarding Randle this series, Mobley held him to 11 of 43 shooting (25.6%), 3-of-19 from three (15.8%) and forced seven turnovers. Despite his offensive struggles, it was great to see Mobley play at an elite level defensively, and while he did get pushed around in the paint at times, he more than held his own on that side of the ball.
Mobley’s Defensive Grade: A+
Mobley’s overall play
Mobley was a steady, calm presence for the Cavaliers all year on both sides of the ball. This year was all about growth for the soft-spoken big man and he was a huge reason why the Cavs ended their five-year playoff drought. While Mobley was inconsistent at times on the offensive side of the ball this season, he still averaged 16.2 PPG on 55% shooting from the field.
He was an efficient offensive player, and he is by no means a liability on that end of the floor. He just needs to continue to improve, and do a better job of being more aggressive. Putting on more weight will also help him battle with big men down low. As for his defense, there are no questions there. Being a DPOY finalist in year two is astounding, and just shows that Mobley will be a Defensive Player of the Year winner at some point in his career.
Mobley’s Year Two Grade: A-
With all that said, this was a successful year two for Mobley. He has not even scratched the surface of the player that he can be. Everyone in the Cavaliers organization is excited to see the growth of Mobley.
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Do not be surprised if he takes a huge leap in year three, and establishes himself as one of the best big men in the NBA.