The Cleveland Cavaliers grew tired of waiting for Evan Mobley. He's probably the most talented player on the team, and he has the potential to be the X-factor and difference-maker to take this team back to the mountaintop.
Likewise, he's also a massive liability when he's not locked in. He's the defensive anchor and a potential three-level scorer, but having him go through the motions against winning teams usually backfires.
That's why his performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder may have sounded the alarms again. He only had two rebounds against the defending champions, and that's simply unacceptable for a guy who's 6-foot-11 and constantly lurking around the rim.
Evan Mobley needs to show some teeth for the Cavaliers
Mobley averages 8.6 rebounds for the season and 8.9 for his career. While not a nightly double-double threat, he's shown his prowess on both sides of the glass when he's at his best.
It's not that he can't have a bad game every here and there, and there should be no shame about losing against the best team in basketball. That said, this has happened way too many times in big games.
Teams can be out-talented and out-lucked, but they can never afford to be out-hustled. Mobley was way too passive on the glass, and while not all teams have a one-two punch of bigs like Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, it's all about sending a message. Once again, Mobley, and to a lesser degree Jarrett Allen, proved that they can both be rattled.
The Cavs have pivoted to Donovan Mitchell as the undisputed face of the franchise, and rightly so. They gambled on Mobley's potential with a big contract before he took a leap, and while it paid off to an extent with last season's Defensive Player of the Year campaign, he might never become the top-tier, two-way disruptor the Cavs hoped he'd be coming out of USC.
Kenny Atkinson's team ran away with the top seed in the Eastern Conference last season and had a legitimate chance to finish the year with the best record in basketball. None of that mattered once the playoffs got rolling and they failed to meet fire with fire against the Indiana Pacers' physicality.
Sunday's game gave this team a chance to prove that they were for real, especially with James Harden's addition and their six-game winning streak. Anybody can beat you in the NBA on any given night, but there are different types of losses.
This one will have Mobley doing some soul-searching after another questionable effort. The Cavaliers will need more from their big man before a championship push in the NBA Playoffs.