Evan Mobley Shines As Cavaliers Steamroll Raptors In Season-Opener

Evan Mobley leads the Cleveland Cavaliers in scoring in their season-opening win over the Toronto Raptors.

Oct 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) attempts a shot as Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) tries to defend during the first quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers season is off and rolling, and so is their new-look offense. The Wine and Gold steamrolled the Toronto Raptors North of the border by a final score of 136-106.

Out of all the storylines from Wednesday night, the most exciting one was Evan Mobley's strong season debut. There was a lot of discourse over the offseason about how the forward could make the jump from solid starter to star, and what we've seen from him in the preseason and the opener, he could be an All-Star candidate this season.

Mobley finished Wednesday's contest with 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks while shooting 64 percent from the floor. He even knocked down one of two threes he took, too.

Kenny Atkinson emphasized all offseason that the Cavs needed to make Mobley a focal point in their offense. He averaged just 11 shots per game last season but put up 14 on Wednesday in just 26 minutes of work. That certainly shows how much involvement Mobley will have on offense.

Mobley was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Cleveland's efficient and exciting offense. The Cavs shot 59 percent from the floor and 46 percent from behind the arc as a team. What those stats don't show is how many of those shots were open looks from a long distance or right underneath the base.

Cleveland's coach has also made it clear since his opening press conference that he wants to make everyone's job easier by creating more open shots. The mission was accomplished.

Oct 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) scores a basket over Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (19) during the third quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images / Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Cleveland still has 81 more games to go; it's a long season. But there were so many positive takeaways from this win, and it should excite Cavs fans about this team's ceiling.