The NBA preseason kicked off on Saturday night, bringing the NBA season one step closer. It also highlighted just how critical Evan Mobley will be this season if the Cleveland Cavaliers hope to win games and make a run in the Eastern Conference.
The very first game of the preseason slate was a special one in Quebec City, a special not-quite-home game for the Toronto Raptors. They played "host" to the Miami Heat. Both teams will be featuring a supercharged front line this year. If Cleveland has to play either team in the playoffs, Mobley is going to be the X-factor to slowing them down.
Evan Mobley is critical this season
Evan Mobley is an All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year level of player. He is at worst a Top 30 player in the league, and many places would rank him even higher than that. Players like that are critical to their teams' success each and every night.
On a Cavaliers team with a strong starting lineup and multiple stars, however, Mobley's role has never been more crucial. And the reason is exactly what the preseason opener showed off: the frontcourts in the East are as strong as ever.
Giannis Antetokounmpo debuted for the Miami Heat, driving into the paint and spraying passes to open shooters. He will play this season alongside another All-Star in Bam Adebayo, a hyper-talented front line down in South Beach.
Speaking of South Beach, LeBron James is back on the Atlantic Coast. This time he will suit up in Philadelphia for the 76ers, and he will play between former league MVP Joel Embiid and former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. The size and talent of the frontcourt in Philly is frightening.
Also featured in the preseason opener were the Toronto Raptors, who have Mobley's old foil Scottie Barnes continuing to level up at power forward, and have now added Kawhi Leonard at the 3. Stopping that pair will be a difficult task for any team that faces the Raptors this season.
The list goes on. Pascal Siakam now gets a new partner in the frontcourt with hulking center Ivica Zubac as the Indiana Pacers return from a bye year. The Detroit Pistons beefed up at power forward with John Collins and re-signed Jalen Duren. The Boston Celtics will have Jayson Tatum back and fully healthy to start the season.
Someone is going to need to step up and slow down these star-studded front courts. Jarrett Allen is underappreciated at center, but the Cavs no longer have the same depth at forward to match up with opponents. Dean Wade is playing in Philadelphia; De'Andre Hunter did not last long in Cleveland.
Peyton Watson is Cleveland's new addition, and as valuable as he will be, his strength is defending guards and wings. He will be asked to take on opposing forwards at times, but he is not the cheat code solution to the arms race in Eastern Conference frontcourts.
Instead, it will be Mobley asked to step up. He will need to both defend the paint alongside Allen and be ready to defend in space to match up with versatile on-ball power forwards around the league. We haven't even mentioned the rise of Jalen Johnson or the championship stardom of OG Anunoby or the potential that Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner finally put it together in Orlando. And what if the Washington Wizards finally matter, with Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and AJ Dybantsa giving them talent for days in the frontcourt?
Much will be asked of Evan Mobley this season. Whether or not he can answer the call will have a gigantic impact on the Cavaliers' ability to make noise in the playoffs.
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