3 keys for the Cleveland Cavaliers after losing Rubio and Sexton

3 keys for the Cleveland Cavaliers after losing Rubio and Sexton: Bank on the development of Evan Mobley

Just how far can Evan Mobley go in shattering his rookie expectations? Expanding his role within the offense to take on a larger responsibility in distributing the ball is about all he has left to do.

Mobley has already shown that he is destined to contend for multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards in the future. He has also flashed his upside as a scorer, finishing 75 percent of his attempts at the rim and displaying a unique touch on fadeaway jumpers (he’s shot11-of-19 [58 percent] on post-fades).

More importantly, Mobley has given us glimpses of his potential as a playmaker.

He has dished the ninth-most assists of any rookie, third of non-guards. His processing speed in the short-roll is advanced for his age, consistently making correct decisions with the ball. Mobley is also excelling at dumping the ball into the post for Jarrett Allen.

Is it possible the Cavaliers can run more of their offense through Mobley? Setting the rookie up on the elbow and allowing him to make reads while players cut and screen away from him could be a natural evolution for Cleveland’s offense.

Look to players like Nikola Jokic and Draymond Green for a sense of how the Cavaliers can use Mobley. There is little chance the 20-year-old can replicate these all-time great passers, but it is still a role he should strive for.

In his first two games since Ricky Rubio’s injury, Mobley is averaging 18.5 points and 4.0 assists. Albeit a small sample size, this shows how important the rookie will be in keeping Cleveland competitive without two of their lead scorers.

Increasing Mobley’s touches and seeing how he responds is the best thing Cleveland can do as it just might work out in their favor.