Hypotheticals can be fun. However, a recent one involving Evan Mobley has the Cleveland Cavaliers star coming out the other end looking questionable among a very talented group of stars.
Bleacher Report put together what they called the Ultimate NBA 5-Year Re-Draft Using 2020 Through 2024 Classes. The idea was simple: re-drafting the league using only players from the five draft classes mentioned in the headline.
With Mobley being selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Cavaliers big man was always going to be a big part of the process. Mobley was selected fifth overall in the re-draft. The only four players who went above him: Victor Wembanyama, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, and Anthony Edwards.
That put Mobley ahead of some incredible NBA talents. The likes of Alperen Sengun, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Scottie Barnes, and others all trailed the Cavaliers star. It was an incredible compliment to the pro that Mobley is. It also comes with a fair bit of skepticism from those who would believe that flattery is overdone.
Evan Mobley's untapped ceiling creates room for excitement — and doubt
It was not too long ago that Bleacher Report did a re-draft of the 2021 class. Mobley was the top pick taken in that one. With a larger player pool, and multiple decision-makers in this process, Cunningham usurped his fellow draftee here.
That much is fair. Cunningham has been the best player on the top seed in the Eastern Conference to start this season. The Detroit Pistons superstar looks every bit of a franchise cornerstone, and just feels like the more proven player at this point of both their careers.
That latter part is where most who will criticize Mobley's placement at fifth will find their ammunition.
Given what this experiment was, there needs to be some thought towards the future with these selections. If Mobley can piece things together on the offensive end, his upside is much higher than most of his peers here.
Jason Dunbar wrote, "But even if he never becomes the clear-cut alpha on a title team, he still profiles as the kind of star-level second option who can be a huge cog in a championship engine. "
A high ceiling and a safe floor should be more than enough to warrant that spot, right?
Well, there will be a fair amount of criticism from those unimpressed with the lack of substantial progression in the counting stats for Mobley. Is that a little silly? Sure, but when stacked up against the likes of Maxey, Sengun, Williams, and others who trail him, it is understandable where that criticism is coming from.
Maxey is in the middle of an electrifying start, leading a disjointed Philadelphia 76ers team to playoff contention. Sengun continues to round out his game, playing an equally important star role for a championship contender. Williams has already proven himself as a second option on a team that hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Ultimately, this was done in the name of good fun. However, the results of how everything shook out leave yet another situation for Mobley's critics to call him overrated.