Evan Mobley is officially a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the fan base has every reason to get behind their first potential superstar since Kyrie Irving. Yet, let’s all remember to be patient with the young prospect.
Standing at seven feet tall, with nimble feet, a soft touch around the rim and some high-level court vision, Mobley has game-changer written all over him. Still, as eager as we all are to see a star suit up for Cleveland — we need to be cautious with expectations and all the growing pains that come with Mobley.
Evan Mobley has the ability to shift fortunes for the Cleveland Cavaliers. As exciting as this might be, we need to have patience with him.
It’s understandable why fans and scouts are leaping to make Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid and Chris Bosh comparisons to Mobley. He’s the most versatile big to enter the draft since Karl-Anthony Towns and he’d likely be the unanimous first overall pick in most other recent drafts.
Mobley is garnering plenty of hype for being a towering big-man who can step out behind the 3-point line and knock down shots. His ability to space the floor is one of the most
This is one aspect of Mobley’s game, in particular, where fans need to calm down. In his 33 games with USC, Mobley hit a total of 12 3-pointers on an underwhelming 30 percent efficiency. He’s shown promise as a shooter but he isn’t a sniper just yet.
Mobley has strong mechanics on his jump shot, albeit a little slow. His high point of release will be enough for him to shoot over 99 percent of his defenders but I still wouldn’t expect Mobley to enter the league as a knockdown 3-point shooter.
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On the defensive end, Mobley is heralded as the best shot-blocker since Anthony Davis. Mobley is a high-IQ defender with great instincts for timing up his jumps. These qualities are highlighted by his incredibly low foul rate, committing fewer than two personal fouls per game as a freshman.
However, the NBA is a much different world. The league is full of stars who have mastered the art of drawing fouls. This will likely be an issue for Mobley early on, especially on the perimeter against craftier opponents.
Meanwhile, Mobley’s skinny build will get him into trouble in the paint. For all of his shot-blocking capabilities, it will be difficult for Mobley to hold his ground at just 215 pounds. This will be somewhat resolved by playing the four next to Jarrett Allen — but Mobley will need to gain some muscle either way.
The same goes for the rest of his offensive game. He’s a skilled post player with sturdy footwork but his frail frame will likely cause him to get knocked off-balance easily by stronger opponents. Don’t be surprised to see him settle for mid-range pull-ups or difficult post hooks early on in his career.
As you can probably tell, Mobley’s first few seasons might be frustrating for those who are looking for the Cavaliers to be back in the NBA Playoffs right away. The truth is, it’ll take some time for Mobley to live up to his expectations even if everything goes right.
This doesn’t mean you should feel pessimistic about Mobley being on the Cavs. In fact, you should be feeling nothing but optimism heading into his rookie season. All indicators point towards Mobley being a hyper-versatile center that can become a foundational building block for the franchise. But, for the sake of everybody, let’s give him ample time to hit that pinnacle.