Imaginations have been running wild all offseason in Cleveland when picturing just how great Evan Mobley could be in 2025-26 if a sizable leap is taken. However, there is a point when it starts to go too far. That is what happened with Chris Fedor.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat writer was prompted to discuss Mobley as a potential MVP candidate for this upcoming campaign in a recent mailbag for his column on cleveland.com. Fedor set the bar too high with the expectations for the Cavaliers big man.
The Cavaliers writer discussed Kenny Atkinson's big praise for Mobley and the 'goosebumps' which the head coach got from watching him at Academy USA workouts. Fedor thought the enthusiasm around the rise of last year's Defensive Player of the Year was 'palpable — and entirely warranted.'
Fedor added, "It’s not crazy to think that an expanded role and sharpened skillset could lead to MVP chatter as the pathway to that award is less obstructed. "
MVP chatter comes too early for Evan Mobley
Wanting Mobley to firmly emerge as the Cavaliers' best player next season is a reasonable expectation. To some extent, it is also a needed one if Cleveland truly wants to be a contender.
Perhaps Mobley can break into the conversation of being a top 10 player in the NBA with a strong leap in 2025-26. That would, theoretically, put him within striking distance of an MVP. That will be especially true if the Cavaliers boast the kind of record they are capable of.
The main issue there would be injuries already threatening the ceiling of what that record could be. The Cavaliers should rightfully be prioritizing managing the workload of their key players for the postseason.
Without the Cavaliers definitively possessing the league's best record, it is difficult to imagine Mobley being a legitimate candidate. Having just one of the Eastern Conference's best regular season records, which was suggested by Fedor, will not be enough against some of the gaudy stat machines who will be in competition with the Cavaliers All-Star.
Therein lies the other, and bigger, problem for Mobley. Fedor significantly downplayed the MVP field around him.
Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were rightfully acknowledged. However, the cases of superstars like Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo were significantly slighted for arbitrary reasoning.
The question put forward by Fedor was: Why not Mobley?
To some capacity, that is an admirable approach to holding optimism around one of the most beloved members of the Cavaliers. However, it also reeks of homerism.
Mobley will have his time, and should be anticipated to take another leap next season. Talks of an MVP are premature, especially given the stiff competition of generational superstars.