Key To Evan Mobley's Outside Shot In Cavaliers Offense

Evan Mobley's confidence has turned him into one of the Cleveland Cavaliers' best offensive players.

Oct 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) gets ready to shoot a foul shot against the Detroit Pistons in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

The Evan Mobley leap is happening; it's finally here.

The Cleveland Cavaliers forward has always been known for his elite defense and offensive ability in the paint, but over the last month, Mobley has also shown that he can be an effective three-point shooter.

The key to this isn't anything special; Kenny Atkinson believes this improvement has come from Mobley just finally becoming more confident in his shot and his ability as a player.

"Confidence. I don't think we're running any more plays for him or anything like that. It's just getting more comfortable out there," said Atkinson ahead of Cleveland's game against the Charlotte Hornets.

"We've encouraged it all year. At some point, that turns. Like, 'Come on man, stop passing threes up,' and he's kind of taken that mantle. And he's worked on it. You see him out there. Not just sitting there catching. He works on closeouts and decisions out of the closeout. I'm really, really happy for him. He's in a good groove from the three."

Jan 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dunks during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Mobley's outside shot volume has noticeably increased this season. He's attempting 2.7 threes a game (four or more in the last five games) and connecting on 43.5 percent of his shots from behind the arc this season.

Mobley's breakout game came against Hornets on December 7, 2024, where Mobley scored a career-high 41 points and shot 6-for-8 from three. Since this game, shooting .489 percent from behin the arc.

Clearly, the ceiling of this Cavaliers team depends on Mobley's performance. If Cleveland can get this sort of offensive production from their star forward, there's no reason they can't make a Finals run this spring.