For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers have hoped that Evan Mobley would take a leap. He's shown steady signs of improvement, of course, and he even won Defensive Player of the Year, but he has yet to break out in the way most people think he can.
He's been in the league long enough for some to think that's just not going to happen. Whether it's game-wise or number-wise, this might be as good as it gets for the former first-round selection. Most bigs would kill for those numbers and that career, but his upside looked so high that it somehow feels like he's underperformed.
That's why former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins isn't ready to give up on him yet. However, he may have set the bar a little too high for him, both literally and figuratively. Making an appearance on ESPN Cleveland Radio, Perkins predicted Mobley would reach Victor Wembanyama's levels of dominance.
Evan Mobley can get better, but people need to temper their expectations
"In the next 2, 3 years, you're gonna be talking about Mobley like we talk about Wemby," Perkins said. "He has that type of upside; it's all in his mind, though."
Perkins argued that there weren't any physical or athletic limitations for Mobley, but he wanted to see him embrace a more aggressive mindset. That's pretty much what Cavs fans have been waiting for since the minute he set foot on the court.
His talent and physical tools are pretty much undeniable, but there's just something holding him back in big games and big moments. There's no amount of practice or coaching that can help him get out of his own mind; it's entirely up to him.
Numbers-wise, Mobley is pretty much the same player he was when he came out of USC. He's expanded his range, has become a better decision-maker, and knows how to use his body better on defense, but none of that reflects in the scoreboard.
That said, he's still this team's most impactful player and the biggest X-Factor, for better or worse. The Cavs look like a borderline lottery team when Mobley isn't engaged, and they look like a legitimate championship contender when he's locked in.
People and fans should definitely want Mobley to take another step forward, and he clearly has the skills to do so. However, Wembanyama's competitiveness and feel for the game are top-notch, and expecting Mobley to join that conversation just feels like setting him up to fail.