Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo: Cavs’ Evan Mobley Can Be ‘Better Than Me’

Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has high expectations for Evan Mobley — despite the second-year Cavaliers power forward shooting just 2-of-12 from the field in Friday’s loss to the Bucks.

Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor caught up with Antetokounmpo to ask about Mobley.

“He can be better than me,” Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t see why he can’t. It’s up to him. I will always try to improve. Every day. But he has the skill set to be a very, very good player.

“He’s 7-feet tall. He can move really well. He can shoot. He is very smart. As you said, he watches tapes of other players, which is very, very good for a young player. If he takes this seriously, he is going to be great.”

Mobley probably hasn’t ever been as good as he was in his first three months as a pro last season. He seemed to hit a rookie wall. He suffered an ankle injury. Other teams started to figure him out. Now, it seems as if he’s in a bit of a sophomore slump.

But he is truly just 21-years old. At that age, all NBA players generally have room to grow. And even so, Mobley is still averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and shooting 54 percent from the floor — not to mention a major shot-altering big man at the other end.

“I did it myself, looking up to other players, trying to make my game like theirs. But at the end of the day, everybody is unique, and everybody has a unique game,” Antetkounmpo said, via Fedor. “You try to take as much as you can from the person and apply it to your game and kind of form your own.

“For me, it’s a great compliment. Evan has a bright future. If he keeps working, he’s going to be really good. He plays the right way. He plays hard. He does everything for his team to win and they have been winning more. He has the skillset. He has the body. It’s just a matter of time until he figures out the game, what he can do and how good he can be. I see the thirst and hunger from him.