Evan Mobley Named Cavaliers Player ‘With Most To Prove’

One NBA analyst has named Evan Mobley as the Cleveland Cavaliers player “with the most to prove.”

The Cavaliers signed Mobley to a lucrative five-year, $224 million extension in July. 

“If Evan Mobley shared the frontcourt with a knockdown shooter, that wouldn’t be such pressure to develop his perimeter game,” NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report wrote. “If the Cavaliers hadn’t accelerated their rebuild with the 2022 trade for Donovan Mitchell, there wouldn’t be such urgency for Mobley to realize his potential. Yet, Mobley still suits up alongside Jarrett Allen (for now, at least), so there is a need for Mobley to harness an outside shot. And since Mitchell’s arrival pushed Cleveland into the Eastern Conference’s top tier, there is a rush for Mobley to blossom as a second star. It’s hard to see the Cavs even entertaining championship dreams without that happening.

“Mobley is an exceptional defender who can clean the glass and finish around the basket. He is not yet the top-shelf, two-way talent Cleveland needs him to be for this club to plot a path out of the conference. While the Cavaliers surely hope new coach Kenny Atkinson can squeeze more out of their entire core four, the focus is really on Mobley and whether or not he can become their difference-maker.”

Last season, Mobley averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.4 blocks for the Cavaliers while shooting 58.0% from the field, 37.3% from beyond the arc and 71.9% from the free-throw line in 50 games. 

Cleveland drafted Mobley with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Mobley has career averages of 15.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks. He’s one of the top defenders in the NBA. 

The Cavaliers went 48-34 last season. They beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in seven games but lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round in five games.