Evan Mobley: All-NBA 2nd Team DPOY 

Evan Mobley has won Defensive Player of the Year for the '24-25 season.

Is Evan Mobley the Greatest Player of All Time?

  • Yes

    Votes: 48 36.4%

  • Yes

    Votes: 22 16.7%

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 6.1%

  • YAAASSS!!!

    Votes: 37 28.0%

  • Jim Chones

    Votes: 33 25.0%
  • Total voters
    132
Since 1980, there have only been three type of champions

1. Teams whose best player was drafted by them and said best player was also a de facto top5 player in the league. This group covers about 80% of those 45 titltes

2. Teams that had acquired Shaq(MIA, LAL) or LeBron(MIA, CLE, LAL) via Trade or FA

3. The 2005 Pistons and the 2019 Raptors

An even simpler way of looking at this is that in the past 45 years, arguably only the 2005 Pistons won an NBA Title without a top5 player. (I think Kawhi was absolutely top5 in 2019)

So if the Cavs are going to win another title, it’s almost solely based on if Evan Mobley a top5 player at some point between 2026-2031(give or take) or in the absence of that, being a once in 50 years outlier team(as the 2005 Pistons were)

While I don’t think this is likely to happen for us and him, if it were I think the most likely time would be between 2026-2028 as it probably represents the best intersection of Mobley’s early prime with Mitchell’s late pre-decline prime

No pressure Evan
 
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MirORich said:
Since 1980, there have only been three type of champions

1. Teams whose best player was drafted by them and said best player was also a de facto top5 player in the league. This group covers about 80% of those 45 titltes

2. Teams that had acquired Shaq(MIA, LAL) or LeBron(MIA, CLE, LAL) via Trade or FA

3. The 2005 Pistons and the 2019 Raptors

An even simpler way of looking at this is that in the past 45 years, arguably only the 2005 Pistons won an NBA Title without a top5 player. (I think Kawhi was absolutely top5 in 2019)

So if the Cavs are going to win another title, it’s almost solely based on if Evan Mobley a top5 player at some point between 2026-2031(give or take) or in the absence of that, being a once in 50 years outlier team(as the 2005 Pistons were)

While I don’t think this is likely to happen for us and him, if it were I think the most likely time would be between 2026-2028 as it probably represents the best intersection of Mobley’s early prime with Mitchell’s late pre-decline prime

No pressure Evan
Click to expand...

I agree with most of this but it's unfair to ANY athlete to say to him: "The only way we win a title is for you to become a top 5 player so it's your responsibility to get there."

OUR need is not HIS problem.

45 years is correct; the last team before the Pistons without a superstar was the 78-79 Sonics.

I'm not sure the reigning champs have a top five player though. Tatum is very good but if you take the best player of the past 45 champs (except Detroit) I don't think he's as good as any of them.

And with the second apron it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain very good teams. Denver has the best player but cost issues depleted their key role players. Boston will eventually have a similar problem.

Last night I watched Dean Wade porn (Boston). We've seen flashes of him play extremely well in the 4th (one game he played the 5 in small ball and was highly effective). Okoro and Niang also played very well in that legendary comeback win. We had no Mitchell or Mobley in that comeback. I'm very interested in seeing what Kenny does with this group.

I do agree that if Mobley becomes a reliable 3 point shooter that massively helps our fit but I'm not expecting that to happen quickly and it might not happen.
 
2 For The Brew said:
I agree with most of this but it's unfair to ANY athlete to say to him: "The only way we win a title is for you to become a top 5 player so it's your responsibility to get there."

OUR need is not HIS problem.

45 years is correct; the last team before the Pistons without a superstar was the 78-79 Sonics.

I'm not sure the reigning champs have a top five player though. Tatum is very good but if you take the best player of the past 45 champs (except Detroit) I don't think he's as good as any of them.

And with the second apron it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain very good teams. Denver has the best player but cost issues depleted their key role players. Boston will eventually have a similar problem.

Last night I watched Dean Wade porn (Boston). We've seen flashes of him play extremely well in the 4th (one game he played the 5 in small ball and was highly effective). Okoro and Niang also played very well in that legendary comeback win. We had no Mitchell or Mobley in that comeback. I'm very interested in seeing what Kenny does with this group.

I do agree that if Mobley becomes a reliable 3 point shooter that massively helps our fit but I'm not expecting that to happen quickly and it might not happen.
Click to expand...
I also think you can make an argument for the Bad Boys Pistons as a team without a superstar. Thomas was good, but nowhere near top-5 in the league. Likely floating around the 10-15 range. I'd have him in the Drexler/Nique tier. That was a really deep and talented roster with just enough star power (and hard fouls) to win a championship against a Lakers team with an injured Magic.
The point still stands. Only a handful of outliers, roughly one per decade, where the champion doesn't fit the pattern. Usually with sort of extenuating circumstances. (Bad Boys vs Injured Lakers, Pistons vs Team Hubris, Raptors vs Injured Warriors, and I don't know enough context around the Sonics Jack Sikma championship to comment).

I agree that this CBA will open up opportunities. But without a transcendent superstar (Which DMitch is currently not) you need a healthy dose of luck.
 
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red. said:
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Why is he practicing shooting slowly?

I'm being a little snarky, but also "Why"? I've never had a shooting coach so maybe that is a thing? I'd have thought they wanted to practice shooting at a more rushed cadence to simulate better the time allotted in game situations.
 
AustinCarr said:
Why is he practicing shooting slowly?

I'm being a little snarky, but also "Why"? I've never had a shooting coach so maybe that is a thing? I'd have thought they wanted to practice shooting at a more rushed cadence to simulate better the time allotted in game situations.
Click to expand...

I think they were keeping him from getting a perfect rhythm? So, he can shoot in any circumstance and not just when he is comfortable. Just a guess
 
AustinCarr said:
I also think you can make an argument for the Bad Boys Pistons as a team without a superstar. Thomas was good, but nowhere near top-5 in the league. Likely floating around the 10-15 range. I'd have him in the Drexler/Nique tier. That was a really deep and talented roster with just enough star power (and hard fouls) to win a championship against a Lakers team with an injured Magic.
The point still stands. Only a handful of outliers, roughly one per decade, where the champion doesn't fit the pattern. Usually with sort of extenuating circumstances. (Bad Boys vs Injured Lakers, Pistons vs Team Hubris, Raptors vs Injured Warriors, and I don't know enough context around the Sonics Jack Sikma championship to comment).

I agree that this CBA will open up opportunities. But without a transcendent superstar (Which DMitch is currently not) you need a healthy dose of luck.
Click to expand...

I agree IT is not a transcendent superstar. HoF and very, very good (like Tatum). He did make the Top 50 and Top 75 though. Mitchell is not on that level.
 
Id argue dirk was not top 10 in 2011 and tatum got brought up already
 
Also on the Mobley shooting...his form is looking a lot more consistent. I'm not an expert on this but his flick looks a lot better. I'm assuming the pace in the video was to work on muscle memory. Hopefully he can speed this up in game time
 
foucault87 said:
Id argue dirk was not top 10 in 2011 and tatum got brought up already
Click to expand...
Great callout on that Mavs team. Dirk was in the conversation for top 5, much like Tatum. Even if he didn't quite crack into the top 5. That Mavs team also falls into the outlier category where the sum of the parts was greater than their opponents superstars. I also think they, like the Pistons and the Lakers, faced a team that didn't take them seriously.

It fits that rough 10% thesis I'm making.

in the last 46 years it's been 4-5 outlier teams.
 
MirORich said:
Since 1980, there have only been three type of champions

1. Teams whose best player was drafted by them and said best player was also a de facto top5 player in the league. This group covers about 80% of those 45 titltes

2. Teams that had acquired Shaq(MIA, LAL) or LeBron(MIA, CLE, LAL) via Trade or FA

3. The 2005 Pistons and the 2019 Raptors

An even simpler way of looking at this is that in the past 45 years, arguably only the 2005 Pistons won an NBA Title without a top5 player. (I think Kawhi was absolutely top5 in 2019)

So if the Cavs are going to win another title, it’s almost solely based on if Evan Mobley a top5 player at some point between 2026-2031(give or take) or in the absence of that, being a once in 50 years outlier team(as the 2005 Pistons were)

While I don’t think this is likely to happen for us and him, if it were I think the most likely time would be between 2026-2028 as it probably represents the best intersection of Mobley’s early prime with Mitchell’s late pre-decline prime

No pressure Evan
Click to expand...

To be fair, you gave us 2 examples of this so it would be twice in 50 years outlier team. :chuckle:
 
I think Mitchell is better than Tatum. He's more consistent which is one of the most important things about being a star player
 
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AustinCarr said:
Why is he practicing shooting slowly?

I'm being a little snarky, but also "Why"? I've never had a shooting coach so maybe that is a thing? I'd have thought they wanted to practice shooting at a more rushed cadence to simulate better the time allotted in game situations.
Click to expand...
I think they are doing it to ensure his shot doesnt start on the catch. he needs to be able to be accurate after he catches and read the defense. If he decides to shoot before he catches and only practices that way all his triple threat threes will be low percentage. Also helps him stay in his shot pocket and not jsut stand up on the catch
 
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