Cavaliers' Evan Mobley receives strong support from teammates for Defensive Player of Year

Warriors forward Draymond Green’s recent push for Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) has moved him into the frontrunner spot for the honor, overtaking Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley, according to betting odds at most sportsbooks, including BetOnline.ag. Evan Mobley, Cavaliers, Cavs, Hawks, NBA Cup

However, Mobley’s Cavs teammates believe the odds have shifted incorrectly.

“Evan was the favorite but then we lost four games in a row and you guys changed it up,” Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. “Draymond is the favorite now, right? Draymond is a Hall of Famer and he is the anchor for their defense as well. But he has won Defensive Player of the Year.

“It’s Evan’s turn. We are the No. 1 team in the East. Defensively, we are up there in the top 10, and no one can consistently score on him. That’s who my vote is for.”

Thompson, urging voters not to “(mess) it up,” emphasized that Mobley’s candidacy goes beyond mere timing.

“He is the key for us defensively,” Thompson said. “Able to guard one through five. Alters shots. Blocks shots. In the passing lanes. He is able to do so much at that end of the court. Like I’ve always said, he is a young Anthony Davis. Ev is a nightmare defensively.”

Cavs guard Darius Garland also backed Mobley, calling his case for DPOY a “no-brainer.”

“He’s definitely the best defender in the league by far. Switching onto guards and bigs,” Garland said. “He’s gotten robbed out of a couple of awards already. I don’t want him to be robbed out of this one too. He’s deserving of it. He’s been doing it for three years now. He hasn’t gotten an award yet. I think it’s time the league gives him the recognition he deserves.”

Mobley’s statistics support his DPOY bid. He ranks sixth in the NBA in total blocked shots, third in contested shots per game, and is in the top 20 in defensive win shares, defensive box plus-minus, defensive rating, defensive rebound percentage, and defensive estimated plus-minus.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson pointed to Mobley’s on/off court numbers as a testament to his defensive impact. Cleveland’s overall defensive rating is 111.4, ranking eighth in the NBA, but with Mobley on the court, that rating improves to 107.7, which would place the Cavaliers second in the league and first in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s just one simple stat — how we’re rated defensively with him on the court and then without him,” Atkinson said. “Koby Altman always says this. He impacts winning and defense at a level he’s never seen and he has done it since he’s been in the league. This is not to put down any of the other candidates, but he leads a top 10 defense. Usually, that lines up with Defensive Player of the Year.”

In addition to Green and Mobley, other DPOY candidates include Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, and Memphis’ Jaren Jackson Jr. Those players will have the final weeks of the regular season to make their cases. However, Mobley says he will not change his approach in an attempt to strengthen his DPOY bid.

“All the guys believe in me, and I believe in myself,” Mobley said. “I’m not going to change or do anything different. Just be myself. I feel like the numbers and the things that aren’t necessarily tracked, I feel like I play a big part in those things. Some guys won’t even take shots just because I’m down there. I’m going to keep going out there and playing the best defense I can and hopefully I get the award.”