Ahead of Mobley are Brook Lopez and Jaren Jackson Jr. JJJ plays only 27 mpg, so maybe he won't get votes.
I'll take Mobley ahead of Lopez. Maybe the voters will too.
Here's what they say about Mobley:
3. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
With Mobley climbing to this rung, all three of the league’s best defenses get a representative near the top of the Ladder. He has an impressive clip file (with a couple of examples
here and
here). The lithe second-year big man forms a terrific tandem with Jarrett Allen (the pair contest a combined 22.4 shots per game, including 6.2 3-point attempts). And at 21 he still qualifies as precocious. “It’s super crazy to see, especially while he’s just so young,” Darius Garland told The Athletic. “He switches out one through five any time, protects the rim really well, slides his feet, contests all the shots — it’s really tough just pointing out one thing. I think he’s an All-Defensive Team player.”