The Last Step Of Evan Mobley’s Evolution Could Push Cavs To New Heights

Cleveland Cavaliers third-year big man Evan Mobley is a defensive stud already, but it's his offensive skill set that is going to propel him further.

The Cleveland Cavaliers think the world of Evan Mobley, and they are not afraid to say it loudly. With each passing day of his career, it feels like coaches, teammates and even opponents have lofty praise and expectations of the third-year big man.

Why wouldn’t they? Mobley is a defensive juggernaut with ridiculously long limbs that allow him to roam the floor freely, constantly causing chaos with deflections, contests and verticality. His range of coverage has to be seen to believe, and in the rarity that an enemy does find a way around him, his recovery time will usually negate any chance of scoring completely.

Offensively, the Cavs are going to entrust Mobley with the ball as a hub at the top of the key and even further out. He’s already working on his two-man game with Max Strus (a la the Miami Heat connection with Bam Adebayo) and has shown how effective his passing skills can be.

In the preseason thus far, we’ve seen Mobley take turnaround 10-to-12 footers over the top as well, sometimes contested. They’ve looked clean, natural and unforced within the flow of the offense. Most notably, the 22-year old added seven pounds over the summer and has invested in a home gym along with a personal chef. That’s already paying dividends.

“It’s been in his face-up game and the way he has taken on heavier and physical guys,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Tuesday. “He has a confidence now when he is bringing the ball up the floor, and whether it be Tristan (Thompson) or Damian (Jones) in front of him, he is confident enough to engage him and not always feel like he has to do something to maneuver around them. That added weight also comes with added strength and when you have that strength, you feel more confident hitting people.”

But there’s one facet of Mobley’s game that would push his offensive profile to another echelon, and Bickerstaff knows: Developing into a threat beyond the arc.

“He has a license to take them all,” Bickerstaff said. “Not something that we want to force him and say you have to take three or four or five a game. But he works his tail off at it and if he has opportunities, he has the freedom to take it. But we don’t want to throw him in this box and make him feel pressure to just do that one thing. He is such a dynamic player and has the capability of making shots at all level, so we want him to be comfortable and attack-minded with what the defense gives him and what he forces the defense into. Just take those shots.

“If he has the ability to become an average to an above average three-point shooter then I think it changes the dynamic of the way people have to guard him, the matchups they can put on him and what it does for everybody else on the floor. But, again, I want to reiterate that he is good enough to make you pay wherever he is on the floor. Not something where it’s pressure, pressure, pressure. It’s [to] be a basketball player because he has the skill set to make you pay.”

Nov 4, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) shoots a 3-pointer against Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) in the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena / Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports

Pressed about Mobley's inconsistency as a three-baller last season, Bickerstaff took the brunt of the blame for not putting him in the best spots. Plus, he only took 102 of them last season.

“it’s just difficult when you don’t know when your shot is coming to be a good shooter,” Bickerstaff explained. “And he took less than one a game and it’s hard to be a good shooter when you don’t know exactly when the shot is coming and then you only take one a game. We will take responsibility for that.”

“All aspects of shooting in general, I’ve been really working on,” Mobley said on Media Day. “That’s been one of the main focuses over the summer, and I feel like I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at it. Hopefully this year, you’ll see the difference.”