Media

J.B. Bickerstaff says Evan Mobley reminded him of Kevin Garnett in Cavs win over Hawks

Published by
Peter Dewey

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up their first win of the 2021-22 season on Saturday with a 101-95 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley turned in another impressive performance, as he scored 17 points and added 11 rebounds in the win.

Mobley also blocked four shots, and Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff compared the rookie to Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.

“It’s a Flip Saunders zone that I watched a lot when I was in Minnesota,” Bickerstaff said. “Seeing Evan’s ability to move through that made me think of when K.G. was playing at the top of that zone. That position he plays in that zone is not an easy position. You’ve got to quarterback it from the front and also see and be aware of what’s behind you. The way he picks up things, you tell him something and he goes and does it, and that’s not common for young players.”

So far this season, Mobley is averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.

The rookie has been as good as the Cavs could have hoped for after they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Cleveland and Mobley will take on the Denver Nuggets on Monday as they look to improve to 2-2 on the season.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

2016 champ says Cavs ‘found something’ amid series comeback vs. Pistons

The Cleveland Cavaliers have successfully climbed out of an 0-2 hole against the Detroit Pistons…

4 days ago

Jeff Teague says Cavs failed to make deal that would’ve sent them to NBA Finals

The Cleveland Cavaliers still have a legitimate chance to make the 2026 NBA Finals, but…

4 days ago

Kendrick Perkins rips Evan Mobley for impact vs. Pistons: ‘You finish the game with one rebound?’

The Cleveland Cavaliers failed to steal a game from the Detroit Pistons on the road…

1 week ago

Former Cavs player says James Harden needs to come off the bench in limited minutes

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in an 0-2 hole in their second-round series against the Detroit…

1 week ago

Donovan Mitchell suggests that he needs to flop to get calls after free-throw disparity in Game 1

Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell wasn’t happy with the lack of foul calls that he…

1 week ago

Skip Bayless implies James Harden was carried in Game 7 vs. Raptors

The Cleveland Cavaliers got the job done in Game 7 against the Toronto Raptors on…

2 weeks ago