Cavs Assistant Greg Buckner: Sky’s the Limit for Evan Mobley

How good does Cavaliers associate head coach Greg Buckner think Evan Mobley will be someday?

Well, good enough that Mobley will be headed to the Hall of Fame.

“I think Evan, when it’s all said and done, will be a top-20 player [all-time], if he stays healthy,” Buckner told Mat Issa of Basketball News.

Anyone who saw Mobley as a rookie probably shares those sky-high expectations. He showed flashes of Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett on his way to 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds, shooting 51 percent from the field, in 69 appearances.

And that includes hitting a bit of a rookie wall at midseason, then working his way out of it by the end.

“Evan’s a worker, by all means,” Buckner said, via Isa.

Mobley is all among the Cavs’ many signs of promise, joining the likes of All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen to give the Cavs their very own Big Three. Some will tell you Mobley deserved to be Rookie of the Year over Raptors wing Scottie Barnes — and perhaps that perceived slight will motivate Mobley even more.

Then again, Mobley isn’t a real emotional guy. He instead carried himself like a pro’s pro, a silent assassin of sorts, in his first NBA season. He proved to be smooth and calm under pressure, and had a penchant for always making the right play.

So hey, perhaps Buckner is on to something.

As for Buckner himself, this will mark his first season as associate head coach under J.B. Bickerstaff — a position to which Buckner was elevated in June. He is 1-0 as acting head coach of the Cavs, replacing Bickerstaff in a 121-105 win over the Bulls in April 2021.

Buckner first became an assistant with the Cavs in November 2020 after serving in a similar role with the Rockets and Grizzlies.

Cavs associate head coach Greg Buckner has a great nickname for Evan Mobley: H.O.F. He told @matissa15 that Mobley can be an all-time great player:

"I think Evan, when it's all said and done, will be a top-20 player [all-time], if he stays healthy." pic.twitter.com/aA5xLEJr5B

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) August 31, 2022