Evan Mobley: 2023 All Defensive 1st Team

[Dr No]

It's time to free Mobley.

At least 50% of our half court playmaking should consist of him coming off a screen and receiving the ball at the elbow. He sees over the defense and is very good at using tough angles to immediately distribute the ball back out to the perimeter with his go go gadget arms. If the defense stays home on the shooters, then make a move to the basket and possibly drop it off the JA.

Mobley can't yet function well if the paint is crowded, he needs some space. We need to put him in a position where he can immediately react to what the D is doing.

In short, we need much more inside-out play, more hi-lo stuff. We need less aimless dribbling by the PG. That's the easiest thing in the world to defend for NBA teams.

I get that Garland has now been anointed the "Man", but JBB must understand that we can't win in the long run if Darius' usage is sky high. Need to stay unpredictable.

Same idea, but I'd love to see Mobley at the high post more often. He has a nice 15-18 ft shot already, he can take a couple a dribbles either direction if necessary to attack the rim, he can feed Mobley down low, he's a good passer to open 3 point shooters (and a pass from that angle to the corner is an easy catch and shoot because your feet and eyes are naturally set toward the basket when you receive the pass). And it puts him in great position to crash the offensive boards if he doesn't get his own shot.

 

[Alec]

Mobility tonight:

32 mins
16 pts on 8/11 shooting
9 rebounds
5 blocks
2 steals
1 TO
1 PF (how is this even possible as a big playing 30+ mins?)
Game leading +28

when he's off, you can kinda tell. when he's on, it's obvious. very smooth in both phases.

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

This guy is going to average 20 and 15 with ease in his prime, not to mention be DPOY.

 

[MD13]

I don't want to sound hyperbolic because it's a really shorthanded Bulls team, but Mobley showed us a bit tonight where he's going to be when he comes into his prime on offense as well as where the NBA is moving towards in the future. Starts on defense, where he was both blocking shots left and right while discouraging a bunch more from being taken. They also played a ton of guards at the same time and he was comfortable in space defending 1-5, switching, dropping, you name it.

Then on offense he was skilled enough to punish smaller defenders by just taking it into the post and shooting over them, and then when they tried to play him with a bigger guy he was able to either shoot from the perimeter or make a move around them. Even when they would double, he just made the right pass out of the double team. He's a walking matchup nightmare for the other team while giving them no matchup advantage to attack, and I can't wait to see what he'll be in a few years.

 

[All4One1ForAll]

This guy is going to average 20 and 15 with ease in his prime, not to mention be DPOY.

20 a game and DPOY are doable for him but probably not 15 rebounds. Stat padder rebound hunter Drummond is the only dude in the last 4 seasons to average that many a game.

 

[kookoo]

Mobility tonight:

32 mins
16 pts on 8/11 shooting
9 rebounds
5 blocks
2 steals
1 TO
1 PF (how is this even possible as a big playing 30+ mins?)
Game leading +28

when he's off, you can kinda tell. when he's on, it's obvious. very smooth in both phases.

1PF with 5 blocks and 2 steals. That's fucking nuts.

 

[Cassity14]

I thought he had started to settle for long jumpers lately. Glad to see him in attack mode tonight!

 

[Randolphkeys]

After we draft Isaiah Mobley, make his father mayor of Cleveland. Cleveland hasn't had a good one since Voinovich anyway.

 

[Boom Outta Here]

 

[tristan+kyrie=$]

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

That armed robbery of Zach Lavine where he ripped the ball out and stole his lunch money to boot was absolutely some straight up, no doubt prime DPOTY-level Kevin Garnett shit.

 

[Rich]

Just such a fun rookie to watch.

It's basically impossible to have a rookie be + player on defense.

Let alone a guy who should legit be getting votes for DPOY. Almost unheard of.

The team's ceiling is way higher this year than I ever imagined because of it.

If you plug Kevin Love back into this starting unit, even with Allen and Garland playing so much better, the Cavs are heading for the mid lottery again because we'd be terribly defensively.

He's the reason we aren't.

 

[Randolphkeys]

Juicy stuff.

 

[NIkeL]

Love him, absolutely love his defense.

Btw, is it me or I have never seen him set a screen, like, ever? He gets in position and moves before the play gets there. I think he would get a few more opportunities if he actually set the screen for a P&R

 

[Alec]

At this juncture, I don’t want him taking a beating setting screens with that body. Float on player.