From Sam Vecenie at The Athletic:
I’ve been a really big fan of Mobley since then, largely because it’s really hard to find 7-footers who move this fluidly. That has always been Mobley’s standout gift, even when he was younger and his overall skill level was still developing. His mobility, flexibility and coordination at his size isn’t quite unique, but it’s rare even among elite athletes at his size across the NBA. Then on top of it, mix in that he’s an extremely intelligent human being who processes the game at an incredible level. Essentially, he’s a really smart kid who also happened to be gifted with physical tools that precious few other people on planet Earth currently have. You can count the number of people who are this tall, this athletic, this mobile, this ambidextrous and this coordinated in terms of both footwork and hand-eye on one hand.
Right now, there is a case that group is basically Mobley, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Mobley is nowhere near as skilled as those guys yet in terms of basketball, but those are tools you’re talking about...
...it’s just exceedingly rare to see a guy succeed this much in the NBA at such a young age. Typically, there is a much bigger adjustment to the speed of the game and to playing against the smartest, most skilled, most athletic players in the world.
For Mobley, especially on defense, it’s basically the same story we’ve seen at lower levels. Like, I’ve been doing this job professionally for about eight years now, and I’ve never seen a rookie that is as good as Mobley is on the defensive end. His switchability in ball screens is staggering. It’s hard even for the best guards in the league to truly take advantage of him. His weakside rim protection and instincts in help are absolutely outstanding. His length and speed in recovery are incredibly impactful. His inherent basketball IQ is really impressive on that end of the floor....
But you watch them, and it’s clear how important that all-encompassing versatility is to their success. The Cavaliers have been one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA since LeBron went west. Mobley is their problem-solver on that end. He makes up for mistakes with his instincts in help due to his length and agility. He’s a top-five shot blocker in the league, largely rotating over from the help side and blocking jumpers from guards who think they can attack him. His switchability allows them to play versatile, different types of pick-and-roll coverage. His size allows them to play smaller and more mobile with him at the five, and his lateral quickness and length combination allows them to play enormous with their starting lineup, where he’s often responsible for guarding threes despite being 7-foot tall. He has a genuine case for the All-Defense team as a first-year player, given that he’s the best player for the Cavs on that end and that they’re a top-three defense in the league — after three straight years of finishing 30th, 30th and 25th in defensive rating.
Then on offense, his unselfishness and ability to make passing reads makes him almost the perfect partner in the frontcourt for play-finishers like Lauri Markkanen (from 3) and Jarrett Allen (at the rim). He’s dexterous enough to play in dribble handoffs, athletic enough to be a vertical threat as a rim runner and has displayed at least some capacity to shoot 3s.
He’s productive, sure. He averages about 14 points, nine rebounds and almost three assists. But his ability to just fill every hole the Cavs have on their roster is the most important part of his game....
I think he’s the best rookie in the league right now. With all due respect to Scottie Barnes and Cade Cunningham, both of whom are putting up great numbers on teams that aren’t very good, the first-trimester Rookie of the Year is Evan Mobley.
He has been the biggest part of why the Cavs have gone from a bottom-feeder since LeBron left to a team that I think doesn’t just make the play-in, but actually just straight-up makes the playoffs. Everything that I’ve seen from Cleveland so far looks sustainable. They have a top-10 offense that he plays a big part of in terms of production, and they’re an elite defense that he is the driver of. Winning games is what matters in the NBA, and I think voters often underrate the importance of winning games when it comes to the Rookie of the Year award. Mobley is legitimately helping the breakout team of the first one-third of the season push toward the top of the Eastern Conference.
