Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley is set to begin his second NBA season, and the team is looking to make him a more prominent part of the offense.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com looked at how Mobley has already become an integral part of the team’s future and the ways in which the Cavs hope to use him.
“The Cavs are planning to unleash Mobley in a variety of ways on the offensive end, wanting him to play with a freer mind,” Fedor wrote. “They’re urging him to yank down rebounds and push, tapping into his guard background. They’ve asked him to be more aggressive and vocal. They’ve sharpened his footwork and given him the green light as a 3-point shooter — even though that doesn’t mean becoming a full-time spacer.
“Sometimes Mobley will be in the Dunker Spot. Other times, he will become an offensive hub, with the freedom to initiate from the top of the key or the elbow, using his size, speed, length and added strength to dribble into the lane against retreating, overmatched defenders, something Mobley’s veteran teammate saw firsthand during training camp.”
The fact that Mobley has outstanding talent doesn’t come as a surprise, considering he was taken with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
In his 69 games last season, Mobley showed off his all-around skills and finished with averages of 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. Despite those numbers, Mobley was narrowly edged out for the Rookie of the Year award by Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors.
That snub sparked plenty of criticism, with Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff recently indicating that Mobley is using it as motivation for the future.
Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff on the difference with Evan Mobley this season:
“I think he’s pissed off…
There is a slight in his mind of not winning Rookie of the Year.” #Cavs pic.twitter.com/V7UVxPuj4E
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) October 17, 2022
One of the reasons why the Cavaliers continue to expect big things from Mobley is because of the 21-year-old’s intense focus and work ethic.
Despite having an impressive first year, Mobley refused to rest on his laurels and instead zeroed in on getting better in all phases of the game.
Last season, a number of injuries ended up closing out the Cavaliers’ campaign sooner than expected.
With the team now back and ready to get going for the 2022-23 season, the Cavaliers’ season looks promising. One reason why such promise exists is because of the offseason addition of superstar guard Donovan Mitchell.
Adding Mitchell to a lineup that already includes players like Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland figures to make things interesting. Whether that leads to a deep playoff run remains to be seen, but the Cavaliers are eager to return to the team’s glory era that ended only four years ago.
That quest begins on Wednesday night, as the Cavs will start the new season with a road matchup against the Raptors.
Even though Mobley needs no motivation to deliver his best on the court, it should be interesting to watch him perform against the player chosen as last season’s top rookie.
