Evan Mobley Silences Doubters In Cavaliers Game 2 Win

ESPN's Brian Windhorst believes Evan Mobley could help the Cleveland Cavaliers go on a deep playoff run.

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) shoots over Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second quarter of game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The critics were growing louder as Evan Mobley’s offensive impact continued to be missing from his game.

One of the critics was ESPN's Brian Windhorst who called out Mobley before Game 2. Windhorst said Thursday that Mobley “has all the tools to be an excellent offensive player and he's not. He's just not, and you can make excuses for him from now until the sun goes down, he's just not developed as an offensive player.”

Cleveland’s starting center responded by finishing the game with a playoff career-high 21 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists while shooting an efficient 60% (9-for-15) from the floor. The box score doesn’t show just how aggressive Mobley was in the paint. 

With this stat line, Mobley became just the fourth player in franchise history to record 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, five or more assists, and two or more blocks in a single playoff game. The other players on that list are LeBron James, Brad Daugherty, and Larry Nance, per @CavsNotes.

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) shoots over Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second quarter of game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Now, Windhorst is taking back some of these initial criticisms and believes Mobley could help the Cavs go on a deep playoff run this season. That is if he sustains this level of play;

“If Mobley plays like this, they can win a championship in the next three years," said Windhorst. "If he plays like this the rest of the series, baby, clear your June. But, he doesn't do this that much.”

Time will tell whether or not Mobley can continue this strong offensive impact. He’s done a solid job in the first two games of the series but the Celtics will surely try to make adjustments to limit Mobley’s impact in Game 3.