The Cleveland Cavaliers have unlocked Evan Mobley

Since coming into the NBA in 2021 as the third overall pick out of USC to the Cleveland Cavaliers, standing seven feet tall with an enormous wingspan of 7-foot-6, we have always known Evan Mobley was special, especially on the defensive end. With the quiet demeanor of a Tim Duncan, the defensive versatility, and the ability to cover ground like a Kevin Garnett, Mobley's defensive ability was always there. 

He wasted no time establishing himself as one of the league’s premier defenders, being honored by an All-Defensive First Team selection in just his second season, becoming the second youngest behind only Kobe Bryant until Victor Wembanyama became the youngest and first rookie to achieve that honor last season. He’s been so good defensively that he ranked 11th in defensive win shares his rookie season in 2021-22 and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting his sophomore season.

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The defense has never been the issue for Mobley, but one question was his assertiveness on the offensive end and whether he could be a scoring threat down the stretch in games. Through his first three seasons, Mobley has scored 30 or more points four times, with his career-high being 38–until Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets.

Under new head coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavaliers' main focus heading into this season was to get more out of their young star big man offensively to unlock a new dimension to their team. Learning on the fly under a new system is never easy for any player, but Mobley’s high IQ has accelerated the process.

"He's convinced me faster than I thought that he's more skilled than I thought, a better decision-maker than I thought, a better shooter than I thought — so that opens up a world," Atkinson said. "We can't rush it, though. We can't jam it. But it really keeps me up at night, in a good way. Like, man, how else can we use him?”

Atkinson had high praise for his multifaceted big, describing him as a “Wing/Big” who he wants to utilize more in bringing the ball up the court by pushing the ball in transition and spreading the floor more. He got just that on Saturday against the Hornets, where Mobley registered a career-best 41 points to pair with 10 rebounds, two assists, three blocks, and making six of eight threes!

Mobley’s performance put him in historic company, becoming just the second Cavalier to record a 40-point, 10-rebound with five or more threes made in a game. The other is LeBron James. It doesn’t end there, as Mobley also joined another NBA legend, Kevin Durant, by becoming just the second player in NBA history under 25 to record 40+ PTS, 10+ REB, 3+ BLK, and 5+ 3 PM in a game. 

23 of his 41 points came in the opening quarter, which is third in franchise history behind James (24) and Kevin Love’s record of (34). Mobley did it all, from making his patented spin move driving to the basket to spacing the floor by knowing down threes. He took the ball upcourt and walked into a warmup rhythm three a la Durant. That’s sure to have Cavalier fans excited.

Mobley’s aggressiveness helped the Cavaliers stay atop the NBA with the best record in a masterful performance on both ends of the court. Five of his six threes came in the first quarter alone, being the “Wing/Big” Atkinson envisioned when he took the job. 

“It’s mental growth,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said of the added freedom Mobley’s earned in the offense. “He’s not a selfish kid. He’s altruistic, and he’s giving. But we need him to be a little more selfish like he was tonight. To me, that’s our next step. And it’s great to see how aggressive he was tonight.”

His teammates have noticed his evolution as well.

“Everything was water tonight,” point guard Darius Garland said of Mobley. “It is good to see Evan just keep evolving. We always talk about his development, and, I mean, it’s getting better every day, every game. You see something different in his game that’s just coming out.”

A more offensively confident Mobley (averaging a career-high 17.9PPG) should spell trouble for the Eastern Conference as the Cavaliers cruised to their fourth straight win.