Giannis Antetokounmpo has long been considered the best power forward in the NBA. That much has not changed, with the Milwaukee Bucks superstar continuing to hold onto his spot as one of the best players on the planet, point-blank. However, Evan Mobley is ready to make things interesting.
The annual NBA GM survey was recently conducted. Five of the 49 questions that were asked had to do with the positional crowns. Which players were considered the best in the game at every spot?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as the best point guard in the NBA with 73 percent of the vote. Anthony Edwards claimed his spot at shooting guard with 70 percent. Luka Doncic emerged out of nowhere at small forward with 40 percent of voters picking him. Nikola Jokic received nearly every vote at center, with 97 percent choosing the Joker.
Power forward was similarly dominated by Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak collected 93 percent of the vote. There were only a few holdouts. Mobley was deemed as the only other player in this conversation, receiving the remaining seven percent of the ballots cast.
Ranking behind Giannis shows just how close Mobley is to superstardom
There is absolutely no shame in coming in second to Antetokounmpo. Quite the opposite, there is honor in that.
Giannis has been an NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and a Defensive Player of the Year. Antetokounmpo has consistently ranked as a consensus top three player in the world throughout the peak of his career in the league.
The fact that there are even a couple of NBA GMs willing to question whether Mobley is better represents a phenomenal indicator of just how great the young star already is. The offseason work put in by the Cavaliers big man will only help him close the gap in 2025-26.
Mobley knew exactly what he needed to work on during the summer. There was no time wasted on his part. The results of his dedication are already beginning to show on the court.
The Cavaliers star has looked the part of someone who improved on the offensive end during the team's first two preseason games against the Chicago Bulls. The second of those matchups was particularly impressive.
Mobley scored 21 points in 26 minutes for the Cavaliers on Thursday, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and getting to the free throw line to 10 times, knocking down eight of his opportunities. The aggression had clearly taken a step forward.
No one is going to sit here and say Mobley will unseat Antetokounmpo as the best power forward in basketball during the 2025-26 season. However, perhaps after another stellar campaign filled with improvement, the Cavaliers young star will earn a few more votes for next year's survey.