Evan Mobley is just about to wrap up his fifth full season in the NBA. From his rookie season until today, his career averages have gone from 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 1.9 turnovers per game on 50.8/25.0/66.3 shooting splits to 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.7 blocks, and 1.9 turnovers per game on 45.6/29.7/60.6 shooting splits.
Mobley has barely gained any weight or muscle, has only marginally improved his shooting, and is virtually the same player he was when he entered the league out of USC. His handles have improved a bit, but he's essentially the same player he was five years ago.
That's why, after watching him not take a single shot in the second half of the Game 2 loss to the New York Knicks, one can only wonder whether he'll ever take a leap. The early returns suggest that won't be the case, and that could essentially doom the Cavs' entire project.
The Cleveland Cavaliers should explore trading Evan Mobley
The Evan Mobley experience is one of the most frustrating watches in the game right now. He can dominate on defense, be aggressive on offense, and get going on both ends of the floor with such ease that makes it almost unfathomable to watch him then disappear in action as often as he does. Also, not to question his work ethic, but watching him be the same player he was as a rookie raises doubts about his development and determination to improve.
He'll make between $50.1 million and $61.24 million over the next four years. With his lack of development, that type of star-caliber salary will only hurt the Cavs' chances of putting together a competitive team. The Cavs are paying him like a superstar, but they're not getting superstar play from him, and the new CBA makes it challenging to stack up big contracts.
At this point, the Cavs should probably just consider cutting their losses and fielding the market for their former lottery pick. He can be an elite defender for a team with a young core and star players on cheap contracts, but he, clearly, cannot be trusted to be one of the primary faces of a contending team.
The Cavs need to do some soul-searching and finally realize that they don't have the right pieces to win a championship. It might look like that on paper, but they might not have the mental fortitude or the character to get the job done when it matters the most. As things stand now, they look like a bunch of very talented Robins still lacking one Batman
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