Evan Mobley: 2023 All Defensive 1st Team

[bs80]

The man has SKILLS.

You'd think that as a rookie he wouldn't get the benefit of the doubt from the refs on all these contests. Dude is so intelligent and so clearly intentional when it comes to jumping straight up that he doesn't even give the zebras an excuse to call a foul. Seven blocks and only seven fouls as a rookie that has earned zero respect from the refs so far...

 

[Muffinalt]

Here is the thing though, because Mobley plays PF, when the quicker guards get by him, and they can get by anyone, we typically have a center in Allen back to defend. I want to keep Mobley at pf personally.

Yeah it's honestly such a luxury. When Allen can be your second most impactful big man defensively, a fail safe basically if anyone gets by Mobley... Dude himself is a great shot altering presence and shot blocker who can switch on the perimeter lol. Absolute luxury.

It's ideal what we are doing now. Have him with Allen for half the time and have him with a spacer Lauri, Love, Wade the other mins. For at least his first few years we really shouldn't have to change that.

After so many years of suffering without any shot blockers on the roster, it's fucking bonkers to watch Mobley + Allen out there together.

Now let's get the guard and wings to match.

 

[red.]

 

[Lee]

Mobley = Stretch Armstrong.

View attachment 6820

The look on Huerter is priceless, its like WTF? lol

I think he will stop surprising people and they just wont challenge him as much, it is shocking how good he is defensively on the ball and help defense. But this is just 3 games in, he will get better.

 

[Lee]

The man has SKILLS.

Can you imagine the backyard battles he had with his brother growing up with their dad coaching them?

One thing that shows is Mobley was always shorter than his brother who is 6'10. It wasnt till his freshman year that he finally played with his brother again and he was taller.

If you wonder what would happen with a highly athletic long 7'1 pf came into the league with fundamentals of a shorter player and coach's son? Well now you know, lol

 

[Cavatt]

The look on Huerter is priceless, its like WTF? lol

I think he will stop surprising people and they just wont challenge him as much, it is shocking how good he is defensively on the ball and help defense. But this is just 3 games in, he will get better.

Real possibility his block numbers go down if he makes guys gunshy anywhere near him.

I've never seen anything like him.

 

[Lee]

Real possibility his block numbers go down if he makes guys gunshy anywhere near him.

I've never seen anything like him.

I mean he didnt even score 20 once yet he was nominated for EC player of the week. First week, 20 year old rookie, ECPlayer of the Week.

Insane. I dont even know what to say, i have seen it for 3 games, no way he keeps it up at this level right? Its 4 factors. His length, he is a legit 7'1, his build. He has very long arms, so somehow he is a long 7'1 with an over 9 foot standing reach. He is very athletic. The flip in sand at his size, and from a high school article about him might have an insane 40 inch vert for his size. Then there is the footspeed, he is as quick as an athletic small forward. Then the BBIQ.

When you put it all together he get a unicorn much in the same mold as Giannis. They are different players, Giannis has a better handle and court vision, but Evan is a better shooter. But that is the type of unique athlete Mobley is. Its insane. I have no idea how he develops, but as a cavs fan I will get a front row seat to his development, and that is going to be a ton of fun.

 

[Cavatt]

I mean he didnt even score 20 once yet he was nominated for EC player of the week. First week, 20 year old rookie, ECPlayer of the Week.

Insane. I dont even know what to say, i have seen it for 3 games, no way he keeps it up at this level right? Its 4 factors. His length, he is a legit 7'1, his build. He has very long arms, so somehow he is a long 7'1 with an over 9 foot standing reach. He is very athletic. The flip in sand at his size, and from a high school article about him might have an insane 40 inch vert for his size. Then there is the footspeed, he is as quick as an athletic small forward. Then the BBIQ.

When you put it all together he get a unicorn much in the same mold as Giannis. They are different players, Giannis has a better handle and court vision, but Evan is a better shooter. But that is the type of unique athlete Mobley is. Its insane. I have no idea how he develops, but as a cavs fan I will get a front row seat to his development, and that is going to be a ton of fun.

He apparently is wiry strong like Gianni's too. He has dunked with Authority and his athleticism is spooky.

People were saying "he's not like Durant" and no he doesn't have those handles and shot, but Durant is nowhere near the athlete Mobley is. Sounds crazy but Mobley has better feel than Durant. Durant would be a chucker if he weren't so good at making tough shots. Mobley is winning at the mind part of the game. He gets easy shots for himself and others.

Would I be hyperbolic saying he has the best feel outside of Doncic and Trae for the recently drafted?

Id love to see how many bones headed mistakes he makes. He can't always keep a guy from scoring, but he seems to make the right decision a shockingly high amount of times.

Sorry for rambling, but I wanted Scottie Barnes before we got 3. I thought he was being overlooked as an all around talent. I also had been into Wiseman and started buying all the "should never draft a big top 10" I wasn't sure how big of an impact Mobley could make, but he is something else and came out of the gate better than I thought he would be in year 2 even.

I can't wait to watch him tonight

 

[Kouki]

Maybe one thing to pay special attention to tonight is how the Nuggs play off Jokic...

 

[kidduck]

The fact he has added 10 pounds of muscle since the draft
says everything about his work ethic and hunger for
greatness.

 

[2 For The Brew]

We’ve had bad lottery luck the past few years but we got lucky when we needed to get lucky. Team in effect will be (1) developing Mobley (2) holding one big in season tryout to see who will be stay and who won’t. Very encouraging that Allen and Mobley seem to fit well as we’ve got Allen for five years.

It’s extremely import that we make the right roster moves instead of fast roster moves.

 

[Lee]

He apparently is wiry strong like Gianni's too. He has dunked with Authority and his athleticism is spooky.

People were saying "he's not like Durant" and no he doesn't have those handles and shot, but Durant is nowhere near the athlete Mobley is. Sounds crazy but Mobley has better feel than Durant. Durant would be a chucker if he weren't so good at making tough shots. Mobley is winning at the mind part of the game. He gets easy shots for himself and others.

Would I be hyperbolic saying he has the best feel outside of Doncic and Trae for the recently drafted?

Id love to see how many bones headed mistakes he makes. He can't always keep a guy from scoring, but he seems to make the right decision a shockingly high amount of times.

Sorry for rambling, but I wanted Scottie Barnes before we got 3. I thought he was being overlooked as an all around talent. I also had been into Wiseman and started buying all the "should never draft a big top 10" I wasn't sure how big of an impact Mobley could make, but he is something else and came out of the gate better than I thought he would be in year 2 even.

I can't wait to watch him tonight

Is Jokic recently drafted? Also we found out the hard way Morant has a great feel for the game, I would throw him in the list.

 

[cavsfever]

I think the point was he makes guys take bad shots and alters them just by his presence

yes the Gobert comparison was just because they both seem to carry a spooky force field with them that repels and alters shots before people even take them LOL. Obviously they are very different players, Gobert outweighs him by like 75 pounds and is much less mobile

 

[mhi]

Our boy getting props!!

Evan Mobley.

Projecting bigs from the NCAA is always challenging because of the differences in styles of play, but it appears early on that all the hype about Mobley as a Chris Bosh 2.0 is legit. If anything, it might have been undersold. In a league that otherwise has grown to devalue most big men, Mobley seems to be the much-coveted unicorn big who can comfortably play on the perimeter at both ends while having enough size, length and athleticism to protect the rim and dive on rolls to the basket.

Offensively, he lacks the heft to punish opponents consistently on the low block, but his post ups have looked better than similar forays from his freshman year at USC. Meanwhile, there are at least two mouth-watering perimeter plays per game from him. He handed out six assists in the opener against Memphis, has looked comfortable enough from the 3-point line to feel confident in his eventual progress as a stretch threat, and has the body control and touch to shoot short-range floaters rolling to the rim when a dunk isn’t available.

And as for his defense… Holy Mobley. While he struggles at times with physicality, he’s already shown the ability to be the positionless, switchable, rim-protecting monster that every team covets. Here he is against Trae Young, tracing him along the perimeter and using the threat of his length to take away any 3-point opportunity, and then stuffing him at the rim. I included one clip here, but this movie repeated several times on Saturday. Memo to future Cavs opponents: Stop trying to involve Mobley in pick-and-rolls. You don’t have an advantage against him on the switch. (Also: Lauri Markkanen is right there, for crying out loud. Why go after Mobley?)

The real fun, however, began in the third quarter, when the Cavs switched to a 3-2 zone as part of a game-changing 21-0 run. (Cleveland had also mixed in a few zone possessions in the first half, including in the clip above, but this stretch was where it really shined). The zone had Mobley up top with the two guards on the wings… except that Mobley was also dropping back to protect the rim. At times it looked like he was guarding all five players.

Watch here as he rescues Markkanen from a blow-by by recovering the 3-point line into the charge circle, then hangs around in the paint to block Young’s floater. (PS: nice recovery, Jarrett Allen). You’re not supposed to be able to protect the rim like this and also be the point man in a zone.Or here, as he quickly closes out on what normally would be a Young 3-pointer and instead forces him into a tough runner before collecting the rebound.Mind you, it’s not like Mobley was doing this against some random scrub either – Young is one of the best offensive players in the league. His tape from the first two games supports the idea that this wasn’t a fluke. He can become one of the best defensive players in the league, quickly.

If so, this is huge for Cleveland. The Cavs have been stuck in the mud since LeBron James left because their mid-lottery picks have yet to produce the type of centerpiece talent to propel them forward. Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro have a future in the league, but none of them are going to be The Guy – the best player on a good team.

Mobley? He can absolutely be The Guy. It’s the most notable development from the first week of the season.

Clips at the link.

Evan Mobley tops impressive rookie class, scouting Overtime Elite and more: Hollinger’s Week That Was – The Athletic

 

[Deezus]

Anybody else catch TNT's Inside the NBA on opening night and hear Barkley say "Who?!" when Ernie Johnson said Mobley was voted by GMs to be the best player from the draft class in 5 years?!

Can't wait to see how that comment ages.