What Evan is doing right now on offense is awe inspiring. The tough shots he is able to take and make with relative ease it seems is really crazy.
However, and that's a big one for me, this is not how you want Evan to operate offensively and the Cavs offensively as a whole. Right now, these post ups, even if they are sustainable, are not creating any offensive flow and gravity for anyone else. And it's not just Mobley, there are simply way too many post ups right now by the Cavs without anyone else moving off the ball. It's ugly basketball and it happens way too much.
Sure, you can say that once teams adjust to Mobley's uber efficient post up play, he will draw more double teams and that will open up the game for everyone else. Could be. But most double teams happen closer to the basket rather than where he is currently operating, and for him to get closer to the basket he is going to need to become stronger at his core. Despite all of that, the dude isn't soft at all. He goes right at whoever is guarding him. Kudos to the dude, he has incredible passion.
In addition to that, I can't imagine posting up like that with his current body, with how much energy he has to exert on each possession not taxing to his body at his current stage of his development. That will have an effect on his overall defense and perhaps on other areas.
What I do want Evan to do, and the team to do is to operate in the short roll waaaay more and as a ball handler. It doesn't quite compute for me how the Cavs can't get Evan easier looks than what they are able to achieve right now. I'm not talking about lobs.. i'm talking about even a simple pick and pop from the top of the key... it has to be easier than those turnaround fadeaways with a man all over him.
It pains me to say it, but offensively Allen and Mobley currently do not fit well. Mobley offensively will be at his best playing in a spaced out floor and the same applies to Allen. Both of them are great in the post and both of them are deemed rather unuseful when the other is going 1 on 1 in the post. In are occasions you can see them playing a pretty neat big to big game, but it happens rather seldomly.
Also, I can not stress this one enough, Mobley is a terrible, terrible screen setter right now and Allen's okay at best screen setting doesn't offset that all. This kinda limits what the team is able to do offensively on the ball, and especially off the ball. Particularly now without Garland, the true engine of the team out of action.
So, Mobley and Allen fit really well defensively, no question about that. But for them to actually be great together offensively, they are going to need to actually complement each other...there are numerous ways for them to be able to do that on paper:
- Evan will need to develop a good 3pt shot and make himself available when Allen is operating in the post. Quite a realistic expectation imho.
- Mobley will need to develop as a ball handler and operate at the top of the break. Mobley's ball handling and quickness with the ball is not close to where you need it to be as a ball handler that can create separation and get by his man in iso. However, using him as a ball handler when Allen is the one setting the pick as a roll man is really interesting. I'm confident in Mobley's ability to find Allen on the roll and i'm really confident in Allen as a finisher. However, teams will probably switch the PnR, making this play probably unsuccessful. Could try slipping the screen instead. It all comes down to how far Mobley can improve his quickness with the ball as a ball handler, because I trust his decision making and execution a lot.
This is why the Cavs need another creator on the wing that is able to punish mismatches. Teams will switch against the Cavs a lot, and the Cavs will need to find ways to counter and make this tactic a lost cause. Actually having a wing with a good 3pt shot and creation abilities be the one setting the pick, or heck even Garland is something I want to explore. I think if Garland is brave enough, he can be a good candidate for that.
-Allen will need to develop a solid mid range jumper and a corner 3. It's not a must, but it's a nice option to have depending on the matchups. Cavs will always have a favorable matchup against any team, so having more options to attack through either one is always a plus.
Now what I really want Mobley to do is operate in the short roll. He is at his best as a decision maker when he has the numbers advantage and when getting the ball in momentum. Allen's man will always be an obstacle in his way in the short roll unless Allen develops his range outside the paint and/or they develop such a good big to big passing in short spaces that would make this irrelevant.
Anyhow, What Mobley is doing right now offensively is absolutely mind boggling. I have not seen a big make these type of moves on a consistent basis with such pure touch on his fadeaways since...forever? I just don't think it's the way the Cavs should operate on offense unless it's the end of a shot clock and they have run out of time or the play was broken, or on some rare occasions. But that shouldn't be most of Evan's offense. Nope. Luckily for us, Evan seems to be a jack of all trades and master of all. The coaching staff just need to put him in the best position to succeed not only for Evan as an individual but for the team as a whole.
