Thus far, it’s been a mixed bag for Cavaliers’ Evan Mobley
By Dan Gilinsky
Mobley’s had some trouble getting going, and the splits are down somewhat
The shooting splits have been 47.5 percent from the field, and 73.7 percent at the free throw line for him. On the surface, that’s been fine, and the Cavaliers have had Darius Garland, the club’s top passer, in only two games to this point. With the chemistry those two have, that has to be taken into account.
Other Cavs’ relevant playmaking options at times being banged up hasn’t helped Mobley, among others, at times, either. Some of that in mind has led to Mobley having times where he’s not been able to get in-rhythm quick enough in games, with a few especially rough first halves, and early this season, his paint scoring splits have been somewhat concerning.
In the two areas where the overwhelming majority of his shots have been, Mobley has done the following so far, per NBA.com’s shooting data:
- 32-of-50 (64.0 percent) in the restricted area
- Four-of-20 (20.0 percent) in the paint, not including the restricted area
It’s been six games into the season, so one shouldn’t be overreactionary regarding these splits from Mobley, but he’s missed some shots right near the basket he normally hits, or dunks in with authority. Last season, he converted on 77.7 percent of his restricted area shot attempts, and shot 40.0 percent on paint attempts in other spots.
Some of the decrease for Mobley in those areas has been because of Cleveland integrating new pieces, Garland missing time, and the Cavaliers have adjusted some of their style on offense.
Still, Mobley has been a bit hesitant at times shooting floaters, and at other points, has been way short. Given he’s shown he can splash those shots and has in the past, that’s something he can assuredly clean up, on a positive note; despite that expectation, he’ll still have to demonstrate he’s more on-point in that aspect.
He’s also attempted only three three-point shots to this point, going one-of-three (33.3 percent), and on mid-range attempts, he’s just one-of-seven (14.3 percent). Regardless of whether Allen is on the floor for stretches with him, he has to show more willingness to shoot those shots when they’re sensible, and if he can hit some of those, and build off the creation he showed in the second half of last regular season, that would help him inside.
Now, there have been some great things he’s demonstrated thus far for Cleveland as well, and those he can build on.