Evan Mobley: 2023 All Defensive 1st Team

[amil99]

He’s not gonna do none of that shit in game

 

[stick]

He’s not gonna do none of that shit in game

He already has.

I remember on one particular play early in the possession, he caught the ball on the right wing three point line as the trailer which drew the ire of an early unset defense. He waited for the moment when a defender scrambled towards him and with ONE dribble Evan got to the paint for a layup attempt.

The difference from this clip (which I believe is from last year prior to the start of season) aside from the defensive difference, he went for a glass attempt on the right side of the basket (and missed it) instead of to the middle.

Will try to dig and find the game that particular instance occurred.


Edit:
It was December 10th, 2022 vs OKC

Accidentally found this in the midst of searching:
Clip A:
2:27 mark of the second quarter plays out similarly to the Summer Run clip, he just takes a few more dribbles and it's more of a semi-transition play off more space from the defender but Evan swerves to the middle for the make on the same kinda shot attempt.


Not to mention, I'm sure one could find a plethora of examples of a similar make/attempt. Evan has made shots starting with the ball from the perimeter throughout his first two years.

Clip B:
Start of the third quarter. 11:40ish mark. Misremembered a bit, he caught it at the middle three point line. Pump faked, one dribble with some wiggle to the rim for a off the glass layup attempt. JA cleaned it up for the points.

Now, it doesn't happen all the time and Evan still has more to improve but he has the capability imo to incorporate that triple threat from the perimeter move to the rim on the NBA court.


(lowered the size of these 12fps gifs, apologies for their quality)

Clip A:


Clip B:

 

[Futuredome]

He needs as much emotional confidence as anything else. He couldn't raise his play with playoff basketball and regressed. The main reason why the Cavs struggled on offense.

Strike one for Evan, but something tells me he will do better with the second pitch.

 

[kidduck]

Hey, Chris: What are the realistic expectations for Evan Mobley in Year 3? — Sean, Rocky River


Hey, Sean: After being the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley has more than lived up to the hype. He was Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2021-22. Then in Year 2, he finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. By any measure, it’s been a wonderful start to his career, showing a rare skill set and an undeniable two-way impact that makes him one of the most promising young players in the NBA. But it’s time for him to take another step.


For Mobley, that means becoming more of an offensive force.


The Cavs entered their playoff series against New York wanting to take advantage of Mobley’s versatility and playmaking in the short roll. They would have him screen for either Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell and then become the outlet in 4 on 3 situations following the expected New York traps designed to get the ball out of the guards’ hands.


It was on Mobley to read the coverage and decide what to do. Kickout for a 3. Toss a lob to fellow big Jarrett Allen. Find a baseline cutter. Attack on his own with a scorer’s mentality. It was a big
responsibility. But throughout the non-competitive five-game series, Mobley repeatedly struggled on the offensive end, with the game looking a bit too fast and the Knicks preying on his weaknesses — at that end of the floor.


Welcome to the playoffs.


Mobley averaged just 9.8 points on 45.8% shooting from the field while missing his only 3-point attempt. He had more turnovers (12) than assists (10). He made just 46.8% of his two-pointers — a number far off from the feathery touch he showed during the regular season when he hit 59.5% on 2s.


Punishing over-helping defenses in 4 on 3 situations as a short roller is critical to Mobley’s evolution, especially given the attention Garland and Mitchell command. It would also help if Mobley — a tireless worker who has been in the gym and weight room all summer — could become a reliable outside shooter, unclogging the offense despite so much time alongside non-shooting center Allen.

The Cavs have plans to use Mobley as an offensive hub. Will he be ready? That’s the best way for him to make that famous third-year leap. The Cavs expect it to happen. They need it if they are going to take another step forward.

 

[kidduck]

Playoff Lessons: Evan Mobley Can Become A Much Better Short Roll Decision-Maker​

Jackson Frank

Throughout their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks had a clear plan defensively: coax the ball out of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell’s hands. Time and time again, New York trapped Cleveland’s star guards, coerced the offense elsewhere, and exploited the Cavaliers’ lack of frontcourt floor-spacing.

The upshot of that gambit left Evan Mobley in a cycle of short-roll opportunities, presenting him with a slew of reads, including kickouts to corner shooters, lobs to Jarrett Allen, or calling his own number as a scorer. Mobley and the Cavaliers failed to shift or challenge the Knicks’ strategy. Cleveland’s offense was dreadful during the playoffs — it ranked 20th among 20 postseason teams in offensive rating (102.2) and 11.3 points below league average after finishing seventh (116.7) and 1.6 points above league average in those respective categories during the regular season, according to Cleaning The Glass.

Mobley experienced some similarly jarring declines. Despite significant growth between years 1 and 2 — namely as a finisher and self-creator, which manifested in a major scoring efficiency uptick (54.9 percent true shooting in 2021-22, 59.1 percent in 2022-23) — the second-year big man struggled to translate those improvements to the playoffs.
He averaged 9.8 points per game (16.2 in the regular season) on 47.6 percent true shooting (59.1 in regular season). His assist-to-turnover ratio slipped from 2.8:1.5 to 1.0:1.2. His two-percentage tumbled from 59.5 percent to 46.8 percent. While his defense remained quite the asset, the offense emerged as a glaring liability and New York was happy to keep directing touches his way.

Among Mobley’s struggles was his incongruence on the short roll. He could not consistently punish New York in 4-on-3 situations. Some of that is not his doing, as Isaac Okoro’s presence in the corner enabled the Knicks to comfortably help off of him while he connected on just 30.8 percent of his long balls in the series.

Okoro’s shooting from distance perked up from his 29 percent rookie year clip to 35.7 percent over the past two seasons, but it’s on such minimal volume (2.3 attempts per game) that defenses are willing to concede those shots, particularly when the alternatives are guys like Mitchell or Garland creating and Mobley or Allen finishing at the rim. The arrivals of a pair of versatile, effective shooters in Max Strus and Georges Niang could harmonize some of these lineups, more optimally arrange the court for Cleveland, and ease Mobley’s short-roll burden.

Regardless, Mobley did not steadily maximize these possessions. Because neither Allen nor Mobley stretches the floor from deep, much of the focus about his areas of improvement revolve around the outside jumper, especially since he’s so much younger than Allen and adding that to his repertoire seems more plausible than the six-year veteran doing so. Yet Mobley’s playoff foibles revealed another hole to address: the floater.

Through two regular seasons, per Cleaning The Glass, he’s shot 38 and 40 percent between 4 and 14 feet, ranking in the 35th percentile or lower both years. In the playoffs, he was 4-for-24 (16.7 percent, 13th percentile) on those field goals. Mobley shrewdly trimmed down his long two volume as a sophomore to prioritize more looks around the rim, which behooved his efficiency and paired well with newfound physicality and craft. Sometimes, though, that aggression persuaded him to pursue daunting finishes against gangly, eager rim protectors when a viable runner might’ve prompted him to be a bit more judicious versus Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein. The lack of an intermediate game instills some rigidity into his paint scoring. It was evident against the Knicks, illuminated through choppy footwork and general discomfort transitioning into those shots.

One of Mobley’s staunch, foremost traits is his processing speed in advantageous situations. He tends to feast in these scenarios and punish defenses for giving him an edge. That didn’t manifest in Round 1. His decision-making looked hurried and off-kilter. He didn’t patiently progress through his reads. He slung errant passes, glossed over ones typically within his wheelhouse, and sped up even when he had space and time available. New York’s rotations and physicality befuddled him.

He resembled a completely different player offensively than the one whose playmaking and feel have been bedrocks for so long. Caris LeVert shot 39 percent beyond the arc during the regular season and 36 percent during the playoff; Mobley continually elected to confront Robinson inside rather than swing feeds to LeVert for open triples. Mobley and Allen have developed some nifty high-low rapport; Mobley squandered various openings for lobs or drop-offs when the low man stepped up to him.

He must refine his pacing and discernment to be the short-roll release valve he’s capable of becoming. Alleviate pressure from his star guards — who experienced their own first-round tribulations worth rectifying — and burn defenses for providing him such beneficial alignments on the floor. Force defensive schemes into conflict.

Getting a bit stronger will benefit him, as well. When Robinson stayed down on his shot fakes, Mobley didn’t have much of a counter, given the chasm in strength between them. There’s a whole lot of tape out there from the first round that could forge a roadmap toward another leap offensively, one that carries a pulse into the playoffs.

His regular season strides should be applauded and are relevant. He is a much better scorer today than the player drafted two summers ago and, at 22 years old, is one of the world’s premier defenders, which remained the case in the playoffs even though he went through some major growing pains on offense. The Cavaliers’ future is bright with him at the helm and their foundational quartet is certainly not a finished product.

His playoff regression should also be a signpost of the crucial next steps, reinforcing the dichotomy between regular season and postseason hoops that Mobley and his teammates must bridge to help Cleveland achieve its lofty aspirations.

 

[Omar The Horse]

He could get to Giannis level strength

 

[guitarguy]

View attachment 16588

He could get to Giannis level strength

That should be his goal regardless, just for health of a body his size. But some nice fringe benefits not getting pushed around.

 

[DeeThree]

Yes.

 

[pinoycavsfan]

Just want to say that it is such a missed opportunity for Mobley not to play in the FIBA World Cup. Im sure he is better that Portis and Kessler. The experience to play high stakes basketball and develop his game against different kinds competition would've been great for him.

 

[foucault87]

Just want to say that it is such a missed opportunity for Mobley not to play in the FIBA World Cup. Im sure he is better that Portis and Kessler. The experience to play high stakes basketball and develop his game against different kinds competition would've been great for him.

My guess is he declined. He would've been asked well before walker or Bobby

 

[Jscc]

My guess is he declined. He would've been asked well before walker or Bobby

I'm hoping this is the reason him and DG aren't playing. And if so, it makes me happy because it tells me (1) their focus is on getting better for next season and (2) they probably consulted more experienced vets that have established NBA success before making their decisions.

 

[DeeThree]

My Prediction: Evan never puts on significant weight like KG.

 

[guitarguy]

So the Mobley "hype" train seemed much stronger last year, videos and promos, etc... I wonder if that was a conscious decision this year to not have as much? Or is he just chillin at the pool with some wheat thins? I know we've seen him in some other's highlight activities, but just thought it was curious. I'd think he'd want more "hype" for 1, hopefully become a bigger "star", and 2 probably helps get bigger endorsements etc../more money. But then again, perhaps strategically he doesn't want competitors to see what he's been working on.

I guess, I'm just starved for some NBA content, how much longer? haha.

 

[foucault87]

So the Mobley "hype" train seemed much stronger last year, videos and promos, etc... I wonder if that was a conscious decision this year to not have as much? Or is he just chillin at the pool with some wheat thins? I know we've seen him in some other's highlight activities, but just thought it was curious. I'd think he'd want more "hype" for 1, hopefully become a bigger "star", and 2 probably helps get bigger endorsements etc../more money. But then again, perhaps strategically he doesn't want competitors to see what he's been working on.

I guess, I'm just starved for some NBA content, how much longer? haha.

I believe its the reverse Ben Simmons effect. If you show a ton of jump shooting footage from the offseason, there will be no change in your shot

 

[DeeThree]

The hype is still real. At least for me.