Evan Mobley: 2023 All Defensive 1st Team

[Jordan]

I hear you man. I just think Duncan is a pretty unique situation. If i recall correctly, he only surpassed 25 ppg one time in his career. He was also drafted into a dynasty in the making. He is the rare superstar that can win without being a world class scorer. These are rare players. Off the top of my head-there haven't been many championship teams who were led by a franchise player who wasn't a prolific scorer. Pistons and Spurs come to mind.

Can you make me a superstar big that averaged over 25 ppg while playing alongside a true center?

It’s just not going to happen. Not with his surrounding teammates and not in today’s NBA. There simply aren’t shots and open spots on the court to allow it to happen.

Now if your argument is that JB should start designing an offense where Mobley is the first or second option then that’s different. That’s just not a Mobley issue, though.

 

[letgocavs]

Maybe watch some Jermaine O'Neil footage

 

[KevinLoveFan]

He sucked vs. the Bucks, but I'm still not worried, and I think most of the negativity in the game thread involved a lot of over-emphasis on single seasonal games (as Rich mentioned in the game thread) and maybe a bit of impulsive Holiday booze/rage. Merge all this with generalized unrealistic expectations of how much many fans believe Evan should have improved from year one to year two, and you get a recipe for over-the-top reactions last night that most of us will probably forget in a couple of years.

I can tell you that year two doesn't usually mean much in the grand scheme. It doesn't even for many guards, let alone bigs like Evan, and this includes offense. Look at Iverson's, or Ja Morant's, second year PPGs. Then look at Duncan's, or even an OKC dude like Poku.

I watch Evan, and I see many things that he will grow into. He's a bit of an awkward giraffe with his dribble/handle now, yes, but he's still OVERALL smoother than a dude like Poku. I see him somewhere between Lamar Odom and a tall guy like Poku. I think the handle will develop somewhere between year three and year four.

He needs to set harder screens/picks. This is something that Poku learned only this year with OKC. Mobley will grow into his body.

Growing into the body means he will gain weight. Giannis wasn't hyper-muscular his first few years. In fact, in his THIRD season, he averaged just 16.9 ppg. It wasn't until his fourth that he hit the 20s.

When Giannis was young, I thought he was overrated. I didn't think he would amount to much other than athleticism. He needed time.

And that's what some fans here need to grant to Mobley.

 

[CroopZ23]

Maybe watch some Jermaine O'Neil footage

thats a really good comparison actually. Minus the temperament. Jermaine had a nastiness to
him though-knocked out a fan and looked like Draymond doing it.

 

[CroopZ23]

Can you make me a superstar big that averaged over 25 ppg while playing alongside a true center?

It’s just not going to happen. Not with his surrounding teammates and not in today’s NBA. There simply aren’t shots and open spots on the court to allow it to happen.

Now if your argument is that JB should start designing an offense where Mobley is the first or second option then that’s different. That’s just not a Mobley issue, though.

Wait. i think i found a couple! I didn't look up stats but i am pretty confident Hakeem notched 25 ppg while playing alongside Ralph Sampson. Next up- pretty sure Karl Malone accomplished this alongside Mark Eaton. Didn't AD also do this next Cousins? Those are the few i can think of

 

[Jordan]

Wait. i think i found a couple! I didn't look up stats but i am pretty confident Hakeem notched 25 ppg while playing alongside Ralph Sampson. Next up- pretty sure Karl Malone accomplished this alongside Mark Eaton. Didn't AD also do this next Cousins? Those are the few i can think of

These are all great examples. Honestly, great job.

With that said, they also reinforce my point:

Olajuwon = 1 30+ point game in first two seasons, against the Lakers, April 10. 1986.

Malone = 1 30+ point game in first two seasons, against the Suns, April 3. 1987.

AD = 1 30+ point game in first two seasons, against the Heat, March 22, 2014.

Second bigs just don’t score that many 30+ point games, if any at all, during their first two seasons. Holding Mobley to that standard means that he is beyond a generational talent, but a lifetime talent.

 

[The Oi]

I fully admit my disappointment with Mobley has to do with the high expectations that everyone seems to put on him.

But here’s the thing. It is very clear that even though coaching worked with him this off-season to make him an “all-around player”, his dribbling and shooting is nowhere near where it should be for him to be a net positive in those areas. Given that’s the case, we shouldn’t be seeing it in games until he actually is ready for it.

I would actually be more than happy with Mobley if he limited his offense to a Tristan Thompson garbage-man like game right now.

It’s everything else, the trying to do too much that drives me completely crazy.

He could just pick up his dribble in the back-court and pass immediately after rebounds and stop trying to take guys off the dribble and that would be an immediate improvement.

I’d LIKE to see him take more of those fades and shots in the lane that only require 1-3 dribbles.

 

[foucault87]

KG always was quick with his moves. He never did the Hakeem thing of dribble 5x, look around dribble 3x, then pass or shoot. I hope Mobley goes for that with a quick hook or fade to finish. Then he can add an up and under and other fancy things out of midpost

 

[buzzdog]

I think Mobley has been a little over-hyped. I think he's fantastic, but people are expecting his offensive progress to come a little quicker than what is realistic. He has had some excellent offensive showings, and he's bound to have some clunkers. He doesn't do as well against physical, body to body defense and he can thrive when he gets even a little room to operate.

I think all the off season work will pay off in time but for now his outside game isn't there yet. I think it will click sooner or later. If I were JBB I'd make sure to run some designed catch and shoot threes every single game for Mobley, just a couple, but do it consistently so he can get used to the feel of hoisting threes in live game action.

When defenses ratchet up the pressure he can start to rush and to force things, and that definitely happened against the Bucks. He'll mature out of that before much longer.

 

[red.]

 

[Jscc]

KG always was quick with his moves. He never did the Hakeem thing of dribble 5x, look around dribble 3x, then pass or shoot. I hope Mobley goes for that with a quick hook or fade to finish. Then he can add an up and under and other fancy things out of midpost

This is true. KG was decisive and trusted his jump shot more than Mobley does. When Mobley gets a pass, he likes getting closer to the basket instead of rising up and taking what the defense gives him (and making them pay for it) because he doesn't trust his jump shot.

 

[Cement]

That picture...ummm...

 

[CroopZ23]

That picture...ummm...

Ya The Freak looks like hes about to bust Mobleys cheeks

 

[Sebastian]

This is true. KG was decisive and trusted his jump shot more than Mobley does. When Mobley gets a pass, he likes getting closer to the basket instead of rising up and taking what the defense gives him (and making them pay for it) because he doesn't trust his jump shot.

KG was also very raw his first couple years.

Hell, even into his third year.

Of course KG, like Mobley, was a monster defensive player from Year 2 on.

The problem with comparisons of MVP caliber big guys is that they were all quite different from one another.

Their learning curves were very different and it sort of correlates with their bodies too.

Hakeem, Robinson and Duncan came into the league with NBA-ready bodies paired with long college careers that honed their skills (not to mention those extra 3-4 years allowed them to fill out physically).

KG and Giannis did not. And their skills and feel for the game developed in concert with their physical growth.

You need a mans body for a mans game.

Comparisons with Duncan are really not applicable in my opinion on that account alone.

 

[Sebastian]

I think Mobley has been a little over-hyped. I think he's fantastic, but people are expecting his offensive progress to come a little quicker than what is realistic. He has had some excellent offensive showings, and he's bound to have some clunkers. He doesn't do as well against physical, body to body defense and he can thrive when he gets even a little room to operate.

I think all the off season work will pay off in time but for now his outside game isn't there yet. I think it will click sooner or later. If I were JBB I'd make sure to run some designed catch and shoot threes every single game for Mobley, just a couple, but do it consistently so he can get used to the feel of hoisting threes in live game action.

When defenses ratchet up the pressure he can start to rush and to force things, and that definitely happened against the Bucks. He'll mature out of that before much longer.

I think Mobley may be over-hyped because people are overlooking his physical development and relative youth. Many comparisons to MVP type big men do not fit beyond they are all tall.

I think people forget how raw KG was in his first few years. And how much he need to fill-out.

And people look to Duncan when they really shouldn't.

Duncan had four years of college and a NBA-ready body his rookie year. So did guys like Hakeem, Duncan, Robinson and many others.

Mobley needs to be compared more to guys who didn't have 3-4 years of college and were still growing into their bodies.

KG is a good example.