Evan Mobley -- Centerpiece of the Cavalier Rebuild?

[Pelly24]

Kyrie had a pretty amazing rookie season, but if we're judging by their ability to help a team win basketball games, Evan was on his way to getting the nod before hurting his elbow.

Kyrie won some games almost single-handedly as a rook, but Evan's defenses shows up every night. Evan helps his teammates on both ends of the floor, while Kyrie was more of a one man wrecking ball.

So much of how Kyrie is seen, or was seen even, comes down to where he was drafted and when. If he'd come out of high school and ended up in San Antonio as a mid lottery pick, he would've immediately been seen as a winning player because he could come off the bench and average like 14/4/5 on like +7 TS% and play within a system seamlessly. But instead, he ended up on the post-LeBron Cavs that stupidly drafted Anthony Bennet No. 1 and was obviously trying to tank. He came into the league an 18/4/6 on +4 or +5 TS% efficiency. He could play fast, slow, on or off ball just like now. He won multiple games singlehandedly. He could get by any defender any time he wanted, score from everywhere on the court and dish out passes nicely. Remember the game winners versus the Celtics and Nuggets. Mobley is great, but the circumstances here are totally different. Jarrett Allen alone is far better than everyone Kyrie played with before LeBron returned to Cleveland. Same with Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. Not even close. Mobley might be the best prospect/player since LeBron, but it's not an apples to apples thing, and Kyrie was pretty much an All-Star guy from Day No. 1.

Pops wouldn't put up with a player who only played for himself like Kyrie, so something would have to give.

After Kyrie beat some teams they watched tape and they realized they just had to crowd the paint and Irving would beat himself. He became allergic to contract, stopped drawing fouls, stopped fighting through screens, stopped playing defense, belittled his teammate.

Things can change, but Evan is well on his way to surpassing Kyrie almost no matter how you slice it and so much of the difference is in his head.

Nobody is going to wonder if the Cavs would be better off starting Matthew Dellevadova over Mobley.

I think a good amount of that is conditional though. He wouldn't have had to do any of that if he played for the Spurs. He passed a lot when he was in Boston and even on the Nets. He can play any style. Pop LOVES Kyrie Irving and talked him up any time he could. He would've been bred to be a better Tony Parker. At the end of the day, he was only 19-22 before LeBron came back. Kyrie in 2k18-2k21 is wayyyy better than early stints Cavs, it's not even close.

[JonFromVA]

So much of how Kyrie is seen, or was seen even, comes down to where he was drafted and when. If he'd come out of high school and ended up in San Antonio as a mid lottery pick, he would've immediately been seen as a winning player because he could come off the bench and average like 14/4/5 on like +7 TS% and play within a system seamlessly. But instead, he ended up on the post-LeBron Cavs that stupidly drafted Anthony Bennet No. 1 and was obviously trying to tank. He came into the league an 18/4/6 on +4 or +5 TS% efficiency. He could play fast, slow, on or off ball just like now. He won multiple games singlehandedly. He could get by any defender any time he wanted, score from everywhere on the court and dish out passes nicely. Remember the game winners versus the Celtics and Nuggets. Mobley is great, but the circumstances here are totally different. Jarrett Allen alone is far better than everyone Kyrie played with before LeBron returned to Cleveland. Same with Collin Sexton and Darius Garland. Not even close. Mobley might be the best prospect/player since LeBron, but it's not an apples to apples thing, and Kyrie was pretty much an All-Star guy from Day No. 1.

Pops wouldn't put up with a player who only played for himself like Kyrie, so something would have to give.

After Kyrie beat some teams they watched tape and they realized they just had to crowd the paint and Irving would beat himself. He became allergic to contract, stopped drawing fouls, stopped fighting through screens, stopped playing defense, belittled his teammate.

Things can change, but Evan is well on his way to surpassing Kyrie almost no matter how you slice it and so much of the difference is in his head.

Nobody is going to wonder if the Cavs would be better off starting Matthew Dellevadova over Mobley.

I think a good amount of that is conditional though. He wouldn't have had to do any of that if he played for the Spurs. He passed a lot when he was in Boston and even on the Nets. He can play any style. Pop LOVES Kyrie Irving and talked him up any time he could. He would've been bred to be a better Tony Parker. At the end of the day, he was only 19-22 before LeBron came back. Kyrie in 2k18-2k21 is wayyyy better than early stints Cavs, it's not even close.

I'm not convinced the player who stunk up the joint in the playoffs for Boston, wouldn't play without KD, refused to play in the bubble, and would rather sit at home than get vaccinated is an improvement.

Defenses can't key on him the same when he's 2nd or 3rd banana.

[Pelly24]

Pops wouldn't put up with a player who only played for himself like Kyrie, so something would have to give.

After Kyrie beat some teams they watched tape and they realized they just had to crowd the paint and Irving would beat himself. He became allergic to contract, stopped drawing fouls, stopped fighting through screens, stopped playing defense, belittled his teammate.

Things can change, but Evan is well on his way to surpassing Kyrie almost no matter how you slice it and so much of the difference is in his head.

Nobody is going to wonder if the Cavs would be better off starting Matthew Dellevadova over Mobley.

I think a good amount of that is conditional though. He wouldn't have had to do any of that if he played for the Spurs. He passed a lot when he was in Boston and even on the Nets. He can play any style. Pop LOVES Kyrie Irving and talked him up any time he could. He would've been bred to be a better Tony Parker. At the end of the day, he was only 19-22 before LeBron came back. Kyrie in 2k18-2k21 is wayyyy better than early stints Cavs, it's not even close.

I'm not convinced the player who stunk up the joint in the playoffs for Boston, wouldn't play without KD, refused to play in the bubble, and would rather sit at home than get vaccinated is an improvement.

Defenses can't key on him the same when he's 2nd or 3rd banana.

I mean it's really just one playoff series. He also beat a historically great team in the playoffs lol. And he also got to the playoffs in a solid position without another all-star, which is something that someone like even Tatum is struggling with now (with another all-star).

I'm not saying Kyrie isn't crazy—I've been one of his harshest critics on here for all this nonsense he's done—but what I am saying is that for all of his talent, people looked at him as a "losing player" largely based on his circumstances. Look at how no one is calling Zach Lavine or Devin Booker losing players now that they've got good/solid teams surrounding them. There's a reason for that. A guy who comes in averaging 18/4/6 on what would now be 60 TS% as a rookie is insane and can fit in anywhere w. that handle/shotmaking/playmaking and speed. The hype was already crazy, but it would've been even crazier if he were on a team like the Spurs, Celtics, etc.

[JonFromVA]

I think a good amount of that is conditional though. He wouldn't have had to do any of that if he played for the Spurs. He passed a lot when he was in Boston and even on the Nets. He can play any style. Pop LOVES Kyrie Irving and talked him up any time he could. He would've been bred to be a better Tony Parker. At the end of the day, he was only 19-22 before LeBron came back. Kyrie in 2k18-2k21 is wayyyy better than early stints Cavs, it's not even close.

I'm not convinced the player who stunk up the joint in the playoffs for Boston, wouldn't play without KD, refused to play in the bubble, and would rather sit at home than get vaccinated is an improvement.

Defenses can't key on him the same when he's 2nd or 3rd banana.

I mean it's really just one playoff series. He also beat a historically great team in the playoffs lol. And he also got to the playoffs in a solid position without another all-star, which is something that someone like even Tatum is struggling with now (with another all-star).

I'm not saying Kyrie isn't crazy—I've been one of his harshest critics on here for all this nonsense he's done—but what I am saying is that for all of his talent, people looked at him as a "losing player" largely based on his circumstances. Look at how no one is calling Zach Lavine or Devin Booker losing players now that they've got good/solid teams surrounding them. There's a reason for that. A guy who comes in averaging 18/4/6 on what would now be 60 TS% as a rookie is insane and can fit in anywhere w. that handle/shotmaking/playmaking and speed. The hype was already crazy, but it would've been even crazier if he were on a team like the Spurs, Celtics, etc.

Sure, a PG sized SG who can reliably beat his man and score points with efficiency has value in the right circumstances ... we're still wrestling with that concept with Collin Sexton. But Kyrie is not content with "the right circumstances" ... he had that in Cleveland and blew it up, he had that in Boston and detonated it ... he picked Brooklyn and walked out on them at least twice by my count.

[Pelly24]

I'm not convinced the player who stunk up the joint in the playoffs for Boston, wouldn't play without KD, refused to play in the bubble, and would rather sit at home than get vaccinated is an improvement.

Defenses can't key on him the same when he's 2nd or 3rd banana.

I mean it's really just one playoff series. He also beat a historically great team in the playoffs lol. And he also got to the playoffs in a solid position without another all-star, which is something that someone like even Tatum is struggling with now (with another all-star).

I'm not saying Kyrie isn't crazy—I've been one of his harshest critics on here for all this nonsense he's done—but what I am saying is that for all of his talent, people looked at him as a "losing player" largely based on his circumstances. Look at how no one is calling Zach Lavine or Devin Booker losing players now that they've got good/solid teams surrounding them. There's a reason for that. A guy who comes in averaging 18/4/6 on what would now be 60 TS% as a rookie is insane and can fit in anywhere w. that handle/shotmaking/playmaking and speed. The hype was already crazy, but it would've been even crazier if he were on a team like the Spurs, Celtics, etc.

Sure, a PG sized SG who can reliably beat his man and score points with efficiency has value in the right circumstances ... we're still wrestling with that concept with Collin Sexton. But Kyrie is not content with "the right circumstances" ... he had that in Cleveland and blew it up, he had that in Boston and detonated it ... he picked Brooklyn and walked out on them at least twice by my count.

I think it's impossible to remove Kyrie's attitude/behavior from his abilities on the court. But on the court, Boston worked perfectly well, and they'd be pretty much unstoppable if he were still there, and he would probably be their most consistent player because he's a better passer and scorer and is an all-around smarter player than Tatum and Brown. In BK I mean... him and Harden were basically unstoppable when they played, and Kyrie had a month averaging 30/6/6 on 62 TS%, and was still beating teams with Harden/KD off the court. Kyrie is a couple of leagues above Sexton as a playmaker/passer and a scorer while also being a better defender.

I agree that Kyrie in general has proven to not be worth it. If it were just the injuries, I'd still take a chance. But that and his attitude toward playing basketball it's like...clearly not worth it. But in terms of ability, and especially what he's shown between 2015 and 2021, you can't really just assume any rookie will be better than that. He's an *easy* hall of fame if he plays four more seasons. He'd be like an 11-time all-star, seven-time All-NBA guy and get 25k points, 5k assists, 5k rebounds, etc.

I would say that Mobley could be a face-up 5 who gets 25/12/5 on +4 TS% and elite defense, and probably be a top 10 player. But it's always hard to project. KAT has all the talent in the world but still kinda sucks.

[JonFromVA]

I mean it's really just one playoff series. He also beat a historically great team in the playoffs lol. And he also got to the playoffs in a solid position without another all-star, which is something that someone like even Tatum is struggling with now (with another all-star).

I'm not saying Kyrie isn't crazy—I've been one of his harshest critics on here for all this nonsense he's done—but what I am saying is that for all of his talent, people looked at him as a "losing player" largely based on his circumstances. Look at how no one is calling Zach Lavine or Devin Booker losing players now that they've got good/solid teams surrounding them. There's a reason for that. A guy who comes in averaging 18/4/6 on what would now be 60 TS% as a rookie is insane and can fit in anywhere w. that handle/shotmaking/playmaking and speed. The hype was already crazy, but it would've been even crazier if he were on a team like the Spurs, Celtics, etc.

Sure, a PG sized SG who can reliably beat his man and score points with efficiency has value in the right circumstances ... we're still wrestling with that concept with Collin Sexton. But Kyrie is not content with "the right circumstances" ... he had that in Cleveland and blew it up, he had that in Boston and detonated it ... he picked Brooklyn and walked out on them at least twice by my count.

I think it's impossible to remove Kyrie's attitude/behavior from his abilities on the court. But on the court, Boston worked perfectly well, and they'd be pretty much unstoppable if he were still there, and he would probably be their most consistent player because he's a better passer and scorer and is an all-around smarter player than Tatum and Brown. In BK I mean... him and Harden were basically unstoppable when they played, and Kyrie had a month averaging 30/6/6 on 62 TS%, and was still beating teams with Harden/KD off the court. Kyrie is a couple of leagues above Sexton as a playmaker/passer and a scorer while also being a better defender.

I agree that Kyrie in general has proven to not be worth it. If it were just the injuries, I'd still take a chance. But that and his attitude toward playing basketball it's like...clearly not worth it. But in terms of ability, and especially what he's shown between 2015 and 2021, you can't really just assume any rookie will be better than that. He's an *easy* hall of fame if he plays four more seasons. He'd be like an 11-time all-star, seven-time All-NBA guy and get 25k points, 5k assists, 5k rebounds, etc.

I would say that Mobley could be a face-up 5 who gets 25/12/5 on +4 TS% and elite defense, and probably be a top 10 player. But it's always hard to project. KAT has all the talent in the world but still kinda sucks.

I like that Evan is able to seamlessly contribute to winning, but like I originally said ... he's on the path to becoming our best rook since LeBron - he's not there yet. One thing I learned from Kyrie is not to expect year to year exponential growth from a player who enters the league already very advanced - but even if Evan has less to learn than a lot of rooks - his physical growth still has a very high potential pay off.

[Pelly24]

Sure, a PG sized SG who can reliably beat his man and score points with efficiency has value in the right circumstances ... we're still wrestling with that concept with Collin Sexton. But Kyrie is not content with "the right circumstances" ... he had that in Cleveland and blew it up, he had that in Boston and detonated it ... he picked Brooklyn and walked out on them at least twice by my count.

I think it's impossible to remove Kyrie's attitude/behavior from his abilities on the court. But on the court, Boston worked perfectly well, and they'd be pretty much unstoppable if he were still there, and he would probably be their most consistent player because he's a better passer and scorer and is an all-around smarter player than Tatum and Brown. In BK I mean... him and Harden were basically unstoppable when they played, and Kyrie had a month averaging 30/6/6 on 62 TS%, and was still beating teams with Harden/KD off the court. Kyrie is a couple of leagues above Sexton as a playmaker/passer and a scorer while also being a better defender.

I agree that Kyrie in general has proven to not be worth it. If it were just the injuries, I'd still take a chance. But that and his attitude toward playing basketball it's like...clearly not worth it. But in terms of ability, and especially what he's shown between 2015 and 2021, you can't really just assume any rookie will be better than that. He's an *easy* hall of fame if he plays four more seasons. He'd be like an 11-time all-star, seven-time All-NBA guy and get 25k points, 5k assists, 5k rebounds, etc.

I would say that Mobley could be a face-up 5 who gets 25/12/5 on +4 TS% and elite defense, and probably be a top 10 player. But it's always hard to project. KAT has all the talent in the world but still kinda sucks.

I like that Evan is able to seamlessly contribute to winning, but like I originally said ... he's on the path to becoming our best rook since LeBron - he's not there yet. One thing I learned from Kyrie is not to expect year to year exponential growth from a player who enters the league already very advanced - but even if Evan has less to learn than a lot of rooks - his physical growth still has a very high potential pay off.

Yeah Evan I don't think has a ceiling, strictly speaking, and his floor is super high. Like, at absolute worst he's a guy that can get 20/12 with very good defense and stroke it from the perimeter. I'm very certain he'll at the very least be an all-star. He actually looks like the safest pick in retrospect.

[SaiCLE]

Mobley has been practicing his jumpers including shooting with his left for a few weeks now. He would have been back but Cavs are obviously being careful and not rushing him back. The other rookies are doing well but it’s amazing how while being out he’s still one of best defenders in the league numbers wise.

A young PF who can shoot, pass, dribble, have high iq and is one of the best defenders in the league.

We can’t win without him so hopefully he’s back by next week.

[JonFromVA]

It sounds like Evan will give it a go .vs. Orlando, which would be right at the 2-week mark.

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[sisibilio]

I think it's impossible to remove Kyrie's attitude/behavior from his abilities on the court. But on the court, Boston worked perfectly well, and they'd be pretty much unstoppable if he were still there, and he would probably be their most consistent player because he's a better passer and scorer and is an all-around smarter player than Tatum and Brown. In BK I mean... him and Harden were basically unstoppable when they played, and Kyrie had a month averaging 30/6/6 on 62 TS%, and was still beating teams with Harden/KD off the court. Kyrie is a couple of leagues above Sexton as a playmaker/passer and a scorer while also being a better defender.

I agree that Kyrie in general has proven to not be worth it. If it were just the injuries, I'd still take a chance. But that and his attitude toward playing basketball it's like...clearly not worth it. But in terms of ability, and especially what he's shown between 2015 and 2021, you can't really just assume any rookie will be better than that. He's an *easy* hall of fame if he plays four more seasons. He'd be like an 11-time all-star, seven-time All-NBA guy and get 25k points, 5k assists, 5k rebounds, etc.

I would say that Mobley could be a face-up 5 who gets 25/12/5 on +4 TS% and elite defense, and probably be a top 10 player. But it's always hard to project. KAT has all the talent in the world but still kinda sucks.

I like that Evan is able to seamlessly contribute to winning, but like I originally said ... he's on the path to becoming our best rook since LeBron - he's not there yet. One thing I learned from Kyrie is not to expect year to year exponential growth from a player who enters the league already very advanced - but even if Evan has less to learn than a lot of rooks - his physical growth still has a very high potential pay off.

Yeah Evan I don't think has a ceiling, strictly speaking, and his floor is super high. Like, at absolute worst he's a guy that can get 20/12 with very good defense and stroke it from the perimeter. I'm very certain he'll at the very least be an all-star. He actually looks like the safest pick in retrospect.

His floor is someone like Pau Gasol, speaking of impact not a skills or playing style comparison.

[Jamaaliver]

2021 NBA Re-Draft: Does Evan Mobley go #1?

1. Evan Mobley



Cade Cunningham, a first-option wing, is exactly what teams target with high lottery picks. But there's an exceedingly rare level above the one Cunningham might reach: generational talent.

Evan Mobley might be one of those, and that earns him the top spot in this re-draft.

The exceptionally mobile center owns per-36 numbers that stack up well against the rookie stats of Kevin Garnett and Anthony Davis, just to name two megastars to whom Mobley's game summons comparisons. That Mobley is playing more minutes and producing for a winning team distinguishes him from KG and AD, whose squads finished a combined 53-111 in their rookie years.

Mobley has true five-position versatility on D, and among high-volume rim-protectors, only his teammate Jarrett Allen holds opponents to a lower field-goal percentage inside of six feet. He anticipates actions, covers absurd distances with his long strides and generally disrupts the offense at all times.

Mobley's instincts and intelligence combine with elite physical tools to create a player that could win multiple Defensive Player of the Year trophies over the next decade or so.

On offense, Mobley has a stroke that will eventually make him an accurate three-point shooter, a keen passing eye and great feel. He's improved as a self-starter on offense, and his face-up game is developing. It isn't difficult to picture him operating as an elbow initiator, but even that might sell his skills short.

Mobley's handle is already elite for a big. As he gains strength, he'll be able to get to any spot he wants with a live dribble. Don't rule out the chance of him becoming a mid-volume pick-and-roll initiator and isolation scorer down the line.

Mobley leads all rookies in box plus/minus and win shares, and he profiles as a genuine cornerstone of a title contender. He is impacting winning to a greater degree than any of his classmates right now. Several of them have immense potential, but none boast a ceiling as high as his.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Biggest Winners and Losers from 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend

Winner: Evan Mobley

Watch on YouTube

Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley is well on his way to winning 2021-22 Rookie of the Year. There wasn't anything he could've done (or not done) this weekend to change that, but the skill he displayed on both Friday and Saturday was a nice introduction to some fans who may not be tuned in to the Cavs.

In the Rising Stars Challenge, Mobley tied with Cade Cunningham for a game-high 13 points in Team (Rick) Barry's 50-48 win over Team (Gary) Payton. He added another five, including a three-pointer, in the championship win over Team Isiah (Thomas).

Then, in Saturday's Skills Challenge, Mobley lit up the nets in the shooting portion of the contest, held his own as a passer and ball-handler and ended the whole thing with a swish from half court.

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

If casual fans weren't aware of how skilled Mobley was before, they should be now. Cleveland is on the rise, and Mobley is one of the biggest (literally and otherwise) reasons.

Bleacher Report

[KuruptedCav]

Mobley is putting in the work. You can see the definition starting to show, the shoulders getting broader, the pounds slowly adding. I was worried about the rookie wall, but he’s earned running into that wall and losing some steam in a way that should pay dividends in upcoming seasons.

I honestly didn’t expect him to look this strong until next year. He might’ve ready to compete next year (I pegged year 3).


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[JonFromVA]

As a Cavs fan - I enjoyed the new format for the skills competition and it is where it is because players didn't take it very seriously in the past; but this isn't like Evan beat out a lot of top young play-makers in the competition.

Since the Cavs haven't been on National TV much at all (one time on nba tv?), it is some added exposure.

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[JujitsuFlip]

Welp, Evan is hurt, hopefully he can be back for the opener.

[ijspeelman]

Welp, Evan is hurt, hopefully he can be back for the opener.

Not a fan of him missing the remainder of training camp and preseason, but it shouldn't put too much of a damper on our first few weeks.

[JonFromVA]

Fedor and/or the people he quoted were really piling it on Evan in this piece:

https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/10/an-nba-championship-for-the-cavs-hall-of-fame-evan-mobley-is-chasing-greatness-and-he-wants-it-all.html

While I'm perfectly fine if Evan develops in to a HOF/franchise player that can lead us to championships, to say that's our only path or to even pile that all on to him disturbs me.

We literally just saw Steph Curry win his second championship and first finals MVP without Kevin Durant, and while we may not have Steph on our team - we have two of the best shooters/scorers/passers in our back-court.

I'm not really sure we need Evan to do a lot more than become a viable floor spacer and fill out our depth if Garland and Mitchell pair well and continue to improve; but I also don't want to see him pigeon-holed, so, if it takes some hyperbole and dreams to make sure that doesn't happen, it's all good.

[ijspeelman]

Fedor and/or the people he quoted were really piling it on Evan in this piece:

https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/10/an-nba-championship-for-the-cavs-hall-of-fame-evan-mobley-is-chasing-greatness-and-he-wants-it-all.html

While I'm perfectly fine if Evan develops in to a HOF/franchise player that can lead us to championships, to say that's our only path or to even pile that all on to him disturbs me.

We literally just saw Steph Curry win his second championship and first finals MVP without Kevin Durant, and while we may not have Steph on our team - we have two of the best shooters/scorers/passers in our back-court.

I'm not really sure we need Evan to do a lot more than become a viable floor spacer and fill out our depth if Garland and Mitchell pair well and continue to improve; but I also don't want to see him pigeon-holed, so, if it takes some hyperbole and dreams to make sure that doesn't happen, it's all good.

I definitely want Mobley to become a perennial all-NBA player, but I agree that I don’t think he needs to get there ever (especially offensively) for us to be legit contenders soon. He already brings incredibly impactful defense and this will most likely get even better. Adding some spacing impact would immediately increase his value as well, as you said.

I think we are set-up well in case Mobley is not that guy. Though, currently I do think he is that guy. He’s 21 so we have some time to figure that part out.