The Cleveland Cavaliers have a promising future with Evan Mobley on the roster. There is widespread belief among fans that the team can only go as far as the former No. 3 overall draft pick takes it.
According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavs plan on featuring Mobley more on offense going forward and expect him to continue improving as he enters his third year in the league.
“The Cavs have plans to use Mobley as an offensive hub,” wrote Fedor. “Will he be ready? That’s the best way for him to make that famous third-year leap. The Cavs expect it to happen. They need it if they are going to take another step forward.”
This is certainly welcome news for the Cavs faithful, especially after seeing the youngster’s potential to make an immense impact on both ends of the floor.
Last season saw Mobley take a leap on defense, entering the Defensive Player of the Year race after the organization and coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed a desire to see the big man be in the conversation for the award. He eventually finished third in voting and made the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team.
Mobley’s offense, though, looked like it could still use some work. To be fair, he saw his scoring numbers and efficiency increase from his first year in the league. His scoring average went up from 15.0 to 16.2 points per game, and his overall shooting clip improved from 50.8 to 55.4 percent.
However, the 22-year-old’s offensive limitations got exposed in Cleveland’s first-round playoff exit at the hands of the New York Knicks. In the series, he only managed to put up 9.8 points per contest on a 45.8 percent shooting clip.
Of course, the onus didn’t just fall on Mobley, as plenty of his teammates also struggled against the Knicks’ physical style of play. It was a difficult series offensively for the squad, as it averaged just 94.2 points per game overall.
But there is a thought that the University of Southern California product could have helped his squad by being more aggressive on offense as a scorer and stepping up as a facilitator. He averaged just a couple assists per game during the series.
It remains to be seen how he will bounce back from a disappointing postseason. Hopefully, the team’s plans will come to fruition, and Mobley can make his jump on offense as expected.
