Evan Mobley's NBA career has been a true rollercoaster. In a vacuum, his numbers are solid. On tape, his talent and skills are mesmerizing. But on a nightly basis, the team never knows what version of him they're going to get.
That inconsistency has been almost impossible to overcome in big games. That's why, after watching him grab just two rebounds in the loss to the undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder, fans and analysts singled him out again.
Nevertheless, while he should absolutely be held accountable, that doesn't mean the team will explore other options. As Cavaliers insider Danny Cunningham told Daryl Ruiter and Jonathan Peterlin on 92.3 The Fan, the Cavs won't even entertain the thought of trading him in the offseason.
Cavaliers will continue to be patient with Evan Mobley
"Evan Mobley's not getting traded this summer. I think they're still going to be patient with him," Cunningham said. "I don't think that there should be a lot of concern with Evan's development."
Cunningham compared this season with the one from two years ago. Both times, Mobley struggled with minor injuries, and right when it seemed that he had hit a wall, he took a big leap and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.
He argued that the Cavs are still fully sold on his development, adding that the arrow isn't always trending up for young players. That's a fair point, but Mobley shouldn't get that 'young player' treatment after signing a supermax contract and earning All-NBA, All-Defensive, and All-Star honors.
The bar will keep getting higher. Injuries or not, this is his fifth season in the league, and he cannot be held to the same standard anymore. That's the type of burden that comes with such a big contract and even more significant talent.
Of course, Mobley probably deserves a pass for that subpar performance, just like all players working their way back from an injury. He was going against the defending champions and their bruising jumbo frontcourt.
That's not to say that they shouldn't call him out in film sessions and push his buttons to watch how he responds. Everybody knows what he's capable of and what he can do when he's locked in and engaged. That's precisely why it's been so frustrating to watch him be on and off as often, especially when he has to go against championship-caliber competition.