The reason critics remain lukewarm on the Cleveland Cavaliers is Evan Mobley. That is plain and simple. After an offseason of imaginations running wild, the results have just not matched what many in Ohio would have hoped for.
Is that the fault of setting the expectations too high for the young star? Perhaps it is. However, for his part, Mobley was fully embracing them.
In all fairness, what was the Cavaliers big man supposed to say? 'I'm not ready for the leap you guys are all asking of me' would not have inspired confidence in anybody. However, that is the reality that Cleveland has navigated in the early parts of the season.
There is still plenty of time in 2025-26 for Mobley to rewrite his narrative, on an individual level, for the Cavaliers. Until that happens, no one will really be taking Cleveland seriously as the contending team that was promised. It would be difficult to even blame them for it either.
Familiar flaws continue to plague Evan Mobley's offensive game
One of the big things everyone wanted to see out of Mobley was more aggression on the offensive end. There was a necessity for him to demand the ball more, search for his offense, and effectively deliver.
Mobley is indeed averaging a career-high 13.6 field goal attempts per game. Is that enough?
More so, it is the consistency that frustrates many. The lack of opportunism does not help either. The Cavaliers' last game against the Toronto Raptors serves as a great example of that.
Cleveland was missing a laundry list of their regular contributors. Darius Garland, Sam Merrill, Jarrett Allen, De'Andre Hunter, Dean Wade, and Craig Porter Jr. all missed the matchup, in addition to the continued absence of Max Strus.
The Cavaliers started Mobley with Donovan Mitchell, Lonzo Ball, Jaylon Tyson, and Larry Nance Jr. That should have been a prime opportunity for the Cavaliers star to assert himself and take command of the offense, right?
Well, Mobley certainly did not play with that mindset. The Cavaliers big man only took seven shots, the second fewest of any starter against the Raptors.
Anyone who would have been frustrated with that approach is understandably just in feeling that way. Star players are supposed to take over basketball games. It is clear Mobley can do that on the defensive end. The Cavaliers and their fans need to see it on offense before the end of the year.