Start, Bench, Cut with recent No. 3 picks: Mobley, Smith, Scoot

Start Evan Mobley

Evan Mobley wasted no time exploding onto the NBA map, establishing himself as a versatile and impactful defender from day one. Whether it was rotating to the rim as a shot-blocker or contesting jumpshots as the tip of the spear in a zone, Mobley could do it all as a rookie.

His sophomore year saw him grow even more as a defender, gaining strength and patience and playing more minutes at center. On offense, he had occasional flashes of dominance, but for the most part settled in as the third banana behind two high-volume guards in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Mobley’s far from finished on offense, with his jumpshot still a work in progress and his finishing not quite at peak heights. He is a good passer but can still develop his vision, while his cutting is a weapon now and can be even better moving forward.

Evan Mobley finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, establishing him as a defender not just impactful according to some metrics but clearly a dominant defender leaguewide. The list of players to finish as DPOY finalists at Mobley’s age is essentially just all-world defenders and/or Hall of Fame players. If the offense comes around he will be an MVP candidate; if not, he’ll be a multi-time All-Star capable of starting on a contender. That puts him at the top of a really talented trio.