CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kevin Garnett. Anthony Davis. Dirk Nowitzki. Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have already pulled video clips from those greats, wanting rookie Evan Mobley to emulate each one in a different way.
They’re not comparing Mobley to them. They’re not asking him to become them. Mobley is unique. But the Cavs believe there are specific pieces that can be implemented to help his evolution. A superstar fusion.
Antetokounmpo’s length and speed with the ball in his hands, and an ability to play off the catch while attacking bigger defenders. Nowitzki’s footwork. Davis’ rebound-and-run and well as paint protection. Garnett’s defensive positioning and recognition.
During Saturday’s 101-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks that ended Cleveland’s two-game losing skid to open the season, coach J.B. Bickerstaff took the impersonation to another level. He deployed Mobley exactly like young Garnett on defense, putting the wunderkind at the top of a stifling 3-2 zone, having him roam and cover ground.
“It’s a Flip Saunders zone that I watched a lot when I was in Minnesota,” Bickerstaff said. “Seeing Evan’s ability to move through that made me think of when KG was playing at the top of that zone. That position he plays in that zone is not an easy position. You’ve got to quarterback it from the front and also see and be aware of what’s behind you. The way he picks up things, you tell him something and he goes and does it, and that’s not common for young players.”
Over the summer, after the Cavs selected Mobley with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Bickerstaff and his assistants studied Saunders’ strategy and wondered whether it would work with Mobley -- a long, mobile, rangy, heady defender who is already making a palpable impact at that end of the floor. Mobley has seven blocks in the first three games, becoming just the second rookie in Cavaliers history to reach that mark in the first three games, joining Roy Hinson.
During the weeklong break in the preseason schedule, between the fourth game against Chicago and the finale in Indiana, Bickerstaff put in that imposing zone as part of their defensive package. He was waiting for the right time to use it. After obvious defensive struggles in the first two games, ranking 25th in defensive efficiency, and then the Hawks following with a 55-point first half Saturday, Bickerstaff went with it to start the third quarter.
Atlanta failed to score on its first four possessions. The Cavs used an 8-0 run to jump in front.
“I feel like that really swung the game,” Mobley said. “I feel like they really didn’t know what to do for a second and it slowed the game down. That zone worked well for us tonight. I think we’re probably going to use it again this season.”
Count on it. Mobley was everywhere.
“It definitely is fun, moving around and not really having a man,” Mobley said. “Just following the ball and trying to make plays wherever the ball is at. Wherever the ball goes I go. It’s not too hard. Gets a little tiring moving to all the spots, but feel like we do a good job of communicating and telling me where to go and stuff. It’s weird for the offense to play in because I’m in a lot of different spots.”
Shortly after camp opened, Bickerstaff spoke about not giving Mobley too much responsibility. He’s the franchise centerpiece, expected to eventually yank the Cavs out of this perpetual rebuild, so they want to make sure they mold him properly.
But nothing has overwhelmed him yet. He picks things up quickly. He’s never fazed, always wearing a look of calm. He responds to every challenge, already earning the coach’s trust. It’s early, but he has plowed through every obstacle thus far.
Bickerstaff admits that sometimes what Mobley’s asked to do is unfair. He’s only 20 years old, three games into what they hope -- and believe -- will be a special career. But how are they supposed to pull back when he’s already one of their best players?
“He’s a bad boy,” Bickerstaff told cleveland.com after the game. “I keep trying to manage his expectations but he keeps blowing my mind.”
During Saturday’s win, Mobley recorded his first career double-double. He scored 17 points to go with 11 rebounds, four blocks, one assist and a steal in a team-high 35 minutes.
“He’s going to be a guy who’s going to get a double-double every night,” Kevin Love said of Mobley. “He’s got a huge future in front of him. He’s going to make a number of All-Defensive teams in his career. He’s just getting started.”
“Evan will be a really good player,” Ricky Rubio added. “But there’s a lot of players in this league who came in and really have a really successful first year, but then get lost because he didn’t have any help. And there’s nobody in this league who can do it by their own. There has to be those veterans.”
The Cavs recognize that as well. It’s why Rubio was acquired in a trade. It’s why there are unlikely to be any buyout discussions with Love. Why Ed Davis -- known as one of the league’s best mentors, a guy who played a significant role in Jarrett Allen becoming a $100 million player -- was signed as the 15th man.
Moving forward, everything will be done with Mobley in mind. It’s all designed to help him reach his unlimited potential.
That process has already started, with visions of some of the best to ever play the position.
“He’s asking me to emulate them but knows I’m still my own player,” Mobley said of Bickerstaff’s plan. “It’s still me being me. It’s not too much. I try to play my game, take bits and pieces from them, but still be myself and play how I play.”