The Cleveland Cavaliers made the choice that most fans saw coming in the 2021 NBA Draft, as the team added University of Southern California product Evan Mobley with the No. 3 selection.
Mobley is undeniably one of the best players in this year’s draft class, and the consensus seems to be that a player of his caliber would have been the top pick most other years. The 20-year-old joins a Cavs organization that has extremely high hopes for the future.
As soon as he takes the floor in his first game with the team, he is going to make an impact. Here are three things Mobley will immediately bring to the table.
1. New Life
The sky is the limit for Mobley, and the addition of him should pump some new life into this Cleveland organization.
It has been a rough few seasons for the Cavs. The team has missed the playoffs in each of the past three years, and fans are growing restless over the losing campaigns. Mobley will join an exciting young core that has hopes of turning things around.
The USC product is a generational talent. It’s very rare to find a big man with his athleticism and ball-handling abilities. Simply put, he is a ridiculously well-rounded prospect.
Overall, he averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game during the 2020-21 season. To top it off, he showed signs of potential from beyond the arc. He shot 30.0 percent from deep in college.
2. Paint Presence
Mobley’s 7-foot frame and elite athleticism are elements of his game that allow him to patrol the paint like few other players can.
During his lone collegiate campaign, Mobley averaged a whopping 2.9 blocks per game. He rejected five shots or more in six different contests.
His rim-protecting abilities go far beyond merely blocking shots, though. His presence in the paint is often enough to deter opposing players from entering the area at all.
Playing in the NBA is far different from playing in college, but some things can’t be taught. Being a shot-blocking giant is one of those things.
Mobley could become one of the best defenders in the NBA.
3. Twin Towers
For a little while, NBA fans and insiders speculated that the Cavaliers were going to move on from big man Jarrett Allen if the organization selected Mobley with the No. 3 overall pick. However, as the draft inched closer, that narrative began to shift drastically.
Reports came out that suggested the Cavaliers were intrigued by the idea of pairing Mobley and Allen in the frontcourt. Now that the selection of Mobley is official, Cleveland decided to ink Allen to a five-year, $100 million deal.
A duo of Mobley and Allen could become the identity of this Cavs team. Both players are versatile positionally, so it would be no surprise to see each of them on the floor at the same time. A lineup featuring both players would give the Cavaliers one of the biggest frontcourts in the NBA.
Further, Mobley would benefit greatly from Allen’s leadership and guidance. He knows what it’s like to come into the league as a first-round pick and be met with high expectations.
