The 2021 NBA Draft has firmly emerged as one of the best classes in recent memory, filled with a handful of premier NBA stars and franchise cornerstones.
Evan Mobley has long held a favorable position among that group. His peers are now rapidly inviting some tough conversations for the Cleveland Cavaliers star.
With as much talent in this class as there has been, the discussion of who reigns supreme as the best player from 2021 is often a fluctuating one. However, Mobley had been quietly asserting himself as the best of the bunch.
Is that still true as the calendar marches to the end of 2025? The competition is stiffening for the Cavaliers big man. As others evolve, Mobley faces much more crowded company at the top of a fantastic year for NBA prospects.
Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, and others are all right there with Evan Mobley
Who are Mobley's chief competition for the crown of best player in the 2021 NBA Draft?
There are a ton of quality players to evaluate here. The honorable mentions that deserve a shout, but are not quite forcing a discussion include: Jalen Suggs, Trey Murphy III, and Josh Giddey. Those are all high-level starters with the last of the bunch bordering on stardom amid a breakout campaign.
Where it starts to get a little more interesting is taking a look at the likes of Jalen Johnson and Franz Wagner. Both of them have been recently thrust into being the top options for their teams due to injuries to the main stars, and have thrived in the process.
Wagner has been in this position before, with Paolo Banchero missing. The Orlando Magic are 7-2 with Franz leading the way, and posting healthy numbers to boot. It raises some serious intrigue about what the Magic would look like if they fully lean into him as the number one on the team.
Trae Young has been injured since late October for the Atlanta Hawks. In his absence, Jalen Johnson has averaged 23.9 points, on shooting splits of 53-44-77, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.0 assists per game as the leading man.
Those two are great in their own rights, but where this discussion really picks up steam is the next three stars. Alperen Sengun, Scottie Barnes, and Cade Cunningham are all genuine threats to permanently supplant Mobley, if the Cavs big man is still being given the benefit of the doubt now.
Sengun is the second best player on a championship contender, similarly to Mobley. That is contingent on whether the Cavaliers are still being taken seriously as a title threat amid this brutal stretch.
Barnes is the best player on a resurgent Toronto Raptors group that has quickly establishing themselves as a playoff team. The two-way play of the Raptors star has allowed his franchise to thrive with him leading the way.
Cunningham is probably where the discussion starts to really look murky for Mobley. The Detroit Pistons superstar has his team at the top of the Eastern Conference as the definitive driving force.
There are a lot of draft classes in which Mobley could have the honors of being a clear-cut pack leader. The 2021 NBA Draft is not one of them.