Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman revealed that Cavs forward Evan Mobley is investing in a home gym to help him get stronger this offseason.
That’s a great sign for Cavs fans as Mobley continues to take the next steps in his career ahead of his third NBA season.
“The development has continued, and I think he wants that,” Altman said of Mobley. “He wants those expectations. He feels the urgency. He’s already investing in a home gym for himself this offseason, which is remarkable for a guy his age to be thinking about, ‘OK, I need to get stronger; I need to get better.’ There’s real upside, obviously, with him.”
If there was one knock on Mobley in the 2022-23 campaign, it came in the playoffs against the New York Knicks. At times, Mobley was not strong enough to handle Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson down low, leading to the Cavs getting crushed on the glass.
New York ultimately won the series in five games with Robinson grabbing 11 offensive rebounds in Game 5 alone.
While there is nothing Mobley can do to change the outcome of this season, he seems to be focused on putting in the work ahead of the 2023-24 season to make himself the best player possible for Cleveland.
Mobley still had a strong second season in the NBA, increasing his points, rebounds and assists per game from his rookie campaign.
All in all, the former No. 3 overall pick finished the 2022-23 regular season averaging 16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He was also a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, averaging 1.5 blocks per game and leading the NBA in defensive win shares.
One area where Mobley can improve offensively is his jump shot. The Cavs forward shot just 36.2 percent on shots between 10 and 16 feet from the basket this season, and he shot just 21.6 percent from beyond the arc.
It’s important that he works on his strength for the defensive end and rebounding, but the sky is still the limit for Mobley as an offensive player if he can become a more consistent shooter.
The University of Southern California product improving his shooting would also allow the Cavs to space the floor more when he and Jarrett Allen are in the lineup together.
Cavs fans have to be encouraged by the willingness from Mobley to take the next steps in his NBA career. Only time will tell if all his work pays off.
