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Evan Mobley: 2023 All Defensive 1st Team

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Is Evan Mobley the Greatest Player of All Time?

  • Yes

    Votes: 48 39.0%
  • Yes

    Votes: 21 17.1%
  • Yes

    Votes: 7 5.7%
  • YAAASSS!!!

    Votes: 36 29.3%
  • Jim Chones

    Votes: 25 20.3%

  • Total voters
    123
Just looking at the eye test, it sure seems like Mobley is being defended on his 3PA's, eg they aren't just giving him the shot and he is still stretching the defense.

According to NBA.com about 2/3rds of his 3PA's "open" (defender 4-6 feet away) and 1/3 are "wide open" (6+ feet).

Contrast this with a guy who teams DEFINITELY leave open intentionally...hmmm...maybe like Isaac Okoro. Around 90% of his 3PA's are considered "wide open".

Some more interesting Mobley nuggets:

1641244768965.png


Maybe partially because he's hitting an absurd 58% on fadeaways:

1641244827657.png
 
He should take those shots then. Mobley doesn't have the frame type to consistently bang in the paint like a traditional big. His center of mass is too high and will likely always be too high. Players with similar proportions (KD, Pau Gasol, etc.,) excelled at face-up mismatches and pick and pops. Players like JA with lower center of masses excel at pick and rolls and cuts to the basket.
I agree that developing a respectable 3pt shot is absolutely critical for Mobley going forward. That's the one thing that will prevent him from having to bang in the paint every night.
 
I wouldn't say Mobley can stretch the floor at this point. He may well get there, but right now he's shooting 31% from the perimeter on very low volume. Teams want him to take 3pt shots.

He thrives in the paint, as does Allen.

I think the analysis might require a deeper dive. 31% is not ideal but not awful. With that, you get defenders out to him and open the paint for Allen. You also create opportunities for Mobley to use his athleticism to dribble around his defender.
 
31% is not ideal but not awful.
It's pretty awful. The League average is around 36%.

Mobley's bad 3pt shot doesn't really stick out because he only takes 1-2 per game. But make no mistake, it does have consequences, like everything else. He's one more dude who can't space the floor for us.
 
Just looking at the eye test, it sure seems like Mobley is being defended on his 3PA's, eg they aren't just giving him the shot and he is still stretching the defense.

According to NBA.com about 2/3rds of his 3PA's "open" (defender 4-6 feet away) and 1/3 are "wide open" (6+ feet).

Contrast this with a guy who teams DEFINITELY leave open intentionally...hmmm...maybe like Isaac Okoro. Around 90% of his 3PA's are considered "wide open".

Some more interesting Mobley nuggets:

View attachment 7613


Maybe partially because he's hitting an absurd 58% on fadeaways:

View attachment 7614

Mobley has invented a new basketball position.....Mobley is a stretch unicorn.
 
It's pretty awful. The League average is around 36%.

Mobley's bad 3pt shot doesn't really stick out because he only takes 1-2 per game. But make no mistake, it does have consequences, like everything else. He's one more dude who can't space the floor for us.

Its not awful, its below average. Like you said, 36% is average overall, for a big its probably like 34%, he is around 32%, but he is also a 19-20 year old rookie...he will come around.

But Mobley is being guarded out there, more than Okoro or Stephens who are actually playing positions that are supposed to be able to shoot.
 
Its not awful, its below average. Like you said, 36% is average overall, for a big its probably like 34%, he is around 32%, but he is also a 19-20 year old rookie...he will come around.

But Mobley is being guarded out there, more than Okoro or Stephens who are actually playing positions that are supposed to be able to shoot.
I'd say that a lightweight, mobile, modern "big" is most definitely supposed to be able to shoot.

Lots and lots of NBA bigs shoot 36% from the perimeter these days.
 
It's ridiculous to think that Mobley and Allen can't share the offensive side of the court as it stands right now. They compliment one another perfectly. They can play high/low, left/right, with excellent big-to-big interior passing. Both can knock down shots from the foul line in at a high percentage. If one guy's man tries to help they get the ball to the other for easy dunks. They've even lobbed to one another.

If this team has any problem it's a lack of outside shooting. We need every one of Love, Garland, Markkanen, and Cedi hitting from outside at a high clip. It would be nice if Okoro, Stevens and Windler were even borderline. Other teams have bench shooters coming in and knocking down threes, not the Cavs.
 
I'm not analyst but I feel like I'm missing something if you say Mobley & Allen don't/can't mesh offensively. They can certainly get better, and improvements to their shots will be a big part of that, but I love watching them on the floor together (admittedly, even moreso on defense). They each put up about 20 & 10 against the Pacers on 50+% shooting with Goodwin as the best available guard. Maybe there's an advanced stat on how they play better separately, but anecdotally I remember at least one great pass between them down low that got us a bucket.

Perhaps it's the Kool-Aid but I've really enjoyed tall ball and have no interest in breaking up Tower City.
 
We just had a couple of games with Mobley as the center. He isn't ready for that yet and he shouldn't be kept away from the perimeter. His passing game from the elbow and out is way more advanced than his kicks to 3.

Yeah, he will likely be a center in the future. I'm fine with him developing his perimeter skills and getting stronger in the meantime.

I think Allen will be able to shoot the corner 3 at some point. He needs to be more ready to shoot than he was last game.

The defense is elite, that's the base level of this frontcourt. The upside is ridiculous. Giving Mobley time off the bench with Love or Lauri is the way to develop him at Center. Mobley is such a ridiculously fast learner they need to put him in as many situations as they can.
 
The steal/block thing was cool. But I found the lead up to be cooler. Look at Evan's awareness. His head is always on a swivel.

Fucking stud, he is.

The way he just lopes effortlessly up the court, head up, brain fully engaged, just making the right plays wherever he goes. I haven't seen the stats but it felt like he played lots of minutes in the first half while the other bigs were rotating in and out, but he never seemed to get tired.
 

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