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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
That first move is something I’ve never ever seen. My eyes are still processing this.
Running left-handed hook shot. Haven't see Mobley do it, but I've seen Jocic do it.
 
Looks like 20 ppg is ahead for Mobley--this season.
I love his usage of the fadeaway off a drive. I think that’s my favorite move of his. No one is ever gonna block that 1 v 1
 
Am I alone in caring about his scoring progress far less than other areas?

I want his defense to continue to take steps towards DPOY level, his rebounding to improve, his passing to reach the potential we all know it has, his screen setting to get better, and his floor spacing for our penetrating guards to become decent. Scoring is just a bonus and I think it’s one of the least important areas in which bigs can contribute impact-wise in the modern NBA. Plus, we already have three guys who should be able to give us 20+ a night for the next half-decade.

I’d rather Evan be an 18/11/5 guy with DPOY-level defense who shoots mid-30s in % from 3, than be a primary scoring option. I think that former can still be a top 5 player in the league in terms of on-court value, and it’s much easier to build a championship team around that kind of player than the latter.
 
Am I alone in caring about his scoring progress far less than other areas?

I want his defense to continue to take steps towards DPOY level, his rebounding to improve, his passing to reach the potential we all know it has, his screen setting to get better, and his floor spacing for our penetrating guards to become decent. Scoring is just a bonus and I think it’s one of the least important areas in which bigs can contribute impact-wise in the modern NBA. Plus, we already have three guys who should be able to give us 20+ a night for the next half-decade.

I’d rather Evan be an 18/11/5 guy with DPOY-level defense who shoots mid-30s in % from 3, than be a primary scoring option. I think that former can still be a top 5 player in the league in terms of on-court value, and it’s much easier to build a championship team around that kind of player than the latter.
No but I won't complain if he becomes a 20 ppg guy on top of all that
 
No but I won't complain if he becomes a 20 ppg guy on top of all that
Yeah no doubt. I just hope the Cavs develop him the right way instead of hyper focusing on the scoring aspect. Imo, outside of the bubble I guess, Anthony Davis never reached his true potential because he packed on too much mass (and unlike Giannis, it was mostly fat) and put more of his energy into being a big time scorer rather than embracing what truly made him special coming out of college - his defense. The dude was the best defensive prospect since Bill Russell and he never came close to fulfilling that ability.

Mobley turning into a supercharged Adebayo would be awesome.
 
One thing I have been seeing on some other threads is that people want to make Mobley a full time 5 and dump Allen. Now, if Allen is the price to get Luka or Giannis, thats fine.

However, we need a real center next to Mobley. He has wide hips and a high center of gravity. This gives him an advantage over other bigs on the perimeter as it lets him stay upright and change direction quickly and easily with guards and wings. This is however a bit of a disadvantage against bruising bigs. Guys who have a low center of gravity and are very strong will always give him problems. Not just the Jokers and Embiids of the world, but even smaller bowling balls like Trez will regularly prove a challenge.

Enter Jarrett Allen, who has the size and length to deal with those guys (again the superstars notwithstanding). Wa lith Mobley developing more of a big wing skillset, this pairs well with Allen who likes to camp the dunker spot and run a lot of high PnR.

I also think a lot of our defensive success is built on having two elite rim protectors. This lets one of the two hang back and help, while the other one can move up and provide an initial deterrent to foolish guards trying to drive into the paint. It is a similar scheme to what Mil runs with Giannis/Blopez and we have done a great job of it too. Add in a good PoA defender (Okoro) and we have the foundation of a strong defense our new offensive lineup can thrive around.

Anyway, end message is ... Allen plays a very important role. Mobley cannot be a full time 5. No need to dump him because he isn't a big wing.
 
Am I alone in caring about his scoring progress far less than other areas?

I want his defense to continue to take steps towards DPOY level, his rebounding to improve, his passing to reach the potential we all know it has, his screen setting to get better, and his floor spacing for our penetrating guards to become decent. Scoring is just a bonus and I think it’s one of the least important areas in which bigs can contribute impact-wise in the modern NBA. Plus, we already have three guys who should be able to give us 20+ a night for the next half-decade.

I’d rather Evan be an 18/11/5 guy with DPOY-level defense who shoots mid-30s in % from 3, than be a primary scoring option. I think that former can still be a top 5 player in the league in terms of on-court value, and it’s much easier to build a championship team around that kind of player than the latter.
Offensive growth and production and defensive growth are not exclusive. There's no reason he can't score 20 ppg and be DPOY. I don't think he'll get there this year, but he'll probably be in the top 5.
 
One thing I have been seeing on some other threads is that people want to make Mobley a full time 5 and dump Allen. Now, if Allen is the price to get Luka or Giannis, thats fine.

However, we need a real center next to Mobley. He has wide hips and a high center of gravity. This gives him an advantage over other bigs on the perimeter as it lets him stay upright and change direction quickly and easily with guards and wings. This is however a bit of a disadvantage against bruising bigs. Guys who have a low center of gravity and are very strong will always give him problems. Not just the Jokers and Embiids of the world, but even smaller bowling balls like Trez will regularly prove a challenge.

Enter Jarrett Allen, who has the size and length to deal with those guys (again the superstars notwithstanding). Wa lith Mobley developing more of a big wing skillset, this pairs well with Allen who likes to camp the dunker spot and run a lot of high PnR.

I also think a lot of our defensive success is built on having two elite rim protectors. This lets one of the two hang back and help, while the other one can move up and provide an initial deterrent to foolish guards trying to drive into the paint. It is a similar scheme to what Mil runs with Giannis/Blopez and we have done a great job of it too. Add in a good PoA defender (Okoro) and we have the foundation of a strong defense our new offensive lineup can thrive around.

Anyway, end message is ... Allen plays a very important role. Mobley cannot be a full time 5. No need to dump him because he isn't a big wing.
Trading Allen is a fast route to destroying Mobley. Basically Mobley would be the only plus defender in the starting lineup and he’d be wearing himself out every night covering up for the defensive issues of every other guy on the court.
 
Am I alone in caring about his scoring progress far less than other areas?

I want his defense to continue to take steps towards DPOY level, his rebounding to improve, his passing to reach the potential we all know it has, his screen setting to get better, and his floor spacing for our penetrating guards to become decent. Scoring is just a bonus and I think it’s one of the least important areas in which bigs can contribute impact-wise in the modern NBA. Plus, we already have three guys who should be able to give us 20+ a night for the next half-decade.

I’d rather Evan be an 18/11/5 guy with DPOY-level defense who shoots mid-30s in % from 3, than be a primary scoring option. I think that former can still be a top 5 player in the league in terms of on-court value, and it’s much easier to build a championship team around that kind of player than the latter.

We shouldn’t focus on pure scoring but it would supercharge this team if he improved his offensive skills in three point shooting and passing. Staying as a non-shooter and a somewhat awkward passer (he is skilled but takes too long to decide) fucks up our team offense by messing with offensive spacing and rhythm. If he does those two things he will naturally become a close to 20 ppg scorer and up his assists to 4-5 per game. Make a huge difference

Totally agree he shouldn’t be putting on mass though and should prioritize defensive mobility
 

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