The Cleveland Cavaliers have a long way to go before the 2025-26 season can be labeled a success. There will be plenty of moments in the coming weeks (good and bad) that feel like either the end of the world or the top of the mountain. It's too early to make overarching declarations, but through two games, Evan Mobley has played aggressive, assertive basketball on the offensive end. That's an extremely promising sign for Cavs fans.
With James Harden in the picture, the consensus seemed to be that Mobley wouldn't have to be a major offensive option in the postseason. But if he's going to be... All the better! In fact, an assertive Mobley could be what swings a series against, say, the Boston Celtics.
I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry. Again, the Cavaliers are just two games into this postseason push. But Mobley — who scored 25 points on 11-13 shooting on Monday — isn't doing this against scrubs, he's doing it against an All-Defense talent in Scottie Barnes and the Raptors' top-10 defense.
A dominant Mobley in these playoffs would be a welcome surprise
Can Evan Mobley be a playoff riser? That phrase has been thrown around a lot, but it generally means a player who performs better when the lights are brightest.
To Mobley's credit, he's had some good playoff series. He doesn't shrink when the moment calls, but he doesn't necessarily rise to the occasion, either. He's just mostly the same player he is during the regular season. But two games in, there's a little extra edge to him on offense, and it's easy to notice.
James Harden's appearance in Cleveland helped everyone out; in the postseason, where offensive creation is so important, he'll be even more essential. In two games, it seems like Harden is drawing so much attention that it's giving Evan Mobley plenty more opportunities to produce. It's not actually slowing down Harden, either, as he's scored 50 points through two games.
Evan Mobley has never been a playoff riser or a playoff faller (I have no idea if the latter is a phrase anyone uses) he's been mostly a playoff... Stayer. We know he's going to be a force on defense, and if the offensive ambition can be consistently what we saw in Game 2, the Cavs take a huge leap toward accomplishing what they want to get done.
Add us as a preferred source on Google