Evan Mobley likely holds key to unlocking Cavs’ full potential

It’s only preseason, so this isn’t the time to carve MVP trophies. Still, Cleveland’s opener against Chicago gave us a glimpse of what really matters this season. And all comes back to Evan Mobley.

The Cavaliers may ultimately go as far as he can take them. Ask anyone around the team and they’ll tell you the same thing. Namely, it seems as if everyone believes another leap is coming.

Tuesday wasn’t the night to draw sweeping conclusions. He logged only 18 minutes in a game that won’t show up in the standings, but there were encouraging flashes.

Mobley led the starters in shot attempts with 10 and looked increasingly comfortable operating like a primary option. On one possession he grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed the ball the length of the floor and finished through Patrick Williams.

It wasn’t a viral highlight, but it was exactly the kind of sequence that players like Giannis Antetokounmpo stack over and over. For Mobley to reach that next level, he has to be able to do it on command.

Later, matched up with second-year man Matas Buzelis, Mobley recognized the mismatch, read the defense and calmly went to work before the help could arrive. That’s what separates the very good from the truly elite. Taking difficult tasks and making them look routine.

It’s early, but the more often Mobley imposes himself like this, the more Cleveland’s ceiling starts to rise.

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