The 2021 NBA draft class was full of top to bottom talent. However, the class had some extreme top end talent. One of those players was none other than Evan Mobley. During his time at USC, he averaged 16 and 8 and efficient shooting all while showing some incredible defensive upside. Though he has only been in the league for 2 short years, looking to see how good he is, to predict how good he can be, is something that is of interest.
Year 1
When Mobley was drafted, many were skeptical about how the fit would work in Cleveland with him playing along side recently acquired center Jarret Allen. This was questioned even more with the FA acquisition of Lauri Markkanen. However, GM Koby Altman and coach J.B. Bickerstaff had full trust that their squad with three seven-footers would pay off. To many people’s surprise, it worked surprisingly well. In his rookie campaign, he averaged 15 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 50% from the field. The Cavs’ record took a massive jump with the addition of Mobley, going from a 22-50 record, to a 44-38 record. This also had to do with the huge leap that star guard Darius Garland took, but Mobley’s defense as well as his improving offensive game were a huge part of the teams new identity.
Year 2
Coming into his second season, Mobley had a lot of hype around the development of his offensive game. However, with the Cavs acquisition of Donovan Mitchell, some were worried about his growth with Mitchell being a ball dominant player. However, the entire team quickly gelled with Mitchell as the Cavs started off the season 8-2 in their first 10. In those first 10 games, Mobley averaged right around 16 points and 7 rebounds on 55% shooting from the field. Defensively, he hasn’t skipped a beat having the third best defensive rating in the entire league, only behind Giannis and Mobley’s own front court partner, Jarret Allen. Mobley finished in the top 3 in DPOY voting.
Looking Ahead
During the first round against the Knicks this year, the Cavs have been getting bullied, to put it lightly. However, shockingly a lot of this has not had to due with Mobley’s play, as he has been playing some pretty good defense on his primary assignment, Julius Randle. When being guarded by Mobley, Randle is putting up some pretty atrocious shooting splits. He’s averaging about 15 points a game on about a 32/26/64 split when guarded by Mobley in the series. This shows his blooming defensive ability, and shows that in the future, not only will he be one of the best defenders in the league, but one of the best in general.
Must See
-
Joey's Draft Stuff
/ 13 hours agoTop Prospects Remaining in March Madness
We have finished the first weekend of March Madness and now only 16 teams...
By Joey Barrett -
NFL
/ 2 days agoThe NFL BANS the Hip Drop Tackle!
Coming with major controversy, the NFL has outright BANNED the hip-drop tackle. Those of...
By Abraham Chao -
NFL
/ 3 days agoBiggest Losers in the 2024 NFL Free Agency Cycle
Free agency is one of the most exciting times for football fans. It involves...
By Jacob Nguyen -
NBA
/ 3 days agoTop 3 Contenders for A Ring for the 2024 NBA Season
As we approach the end of the 2023-2024 NBA season, we’ve started feeling the...
By Sebastian C. -
NFL
/ 4 days ago2024 NFL Mock Draft 2.0
We’re one month away from the NFL draft and boy… has it gotten exciting...
By Sheikh U. -
NBA
/ 1 week agoA New King? Who’s the Next Face of the NBA?
With the NBA absolutely overflowing with talent, and LeBron’s seemingly never ending “best in...
By Pedro C. -
NFL
/ 2 weeks agoBiggest 2024 NFL Free Agency Winners and Losers
We’re about a week into free agency and we’ve seen so much go on...
By Sheikh U. -
NFL
/ 2 weeks ago2024 NFL Free Agency Tracker
Well football fans, the early tampering NFL Free Agency period is among us. This...
By Abraham Chao -
NBA
/ 3 weeks agoPost All-Star Break NBA Awards Predictions By SidelineCue Writers
We’re past the All-Star break and it’s time to get serious about potential recipients...
By Sheikh U. -
NBA
/ 3 weeks agoWhy the Nuggets are Still The Best Team in The NBA
After beating the Boston Celtics for the second time this season, the Denver Nuggets...