NBA Notes: Cavs, Evan Mobley, Magic, Desmond Bane, Kings

Cavaliers

This time last year, the Cavaliers were sitting at 21-4 and looking like the class of the league. Twenty-five games into this season, they’re 14-11 and still searching for a rhythm that carried them through most of 2024-25.

Much of the outside conversation has centered on Evan Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. As Chase Brownawell of SI.com noted, NBA scouts and executives have offered a wide range of opinions on where Mobley fits right now — and where he can take the Cavs.

One assistant GM told ESPN that “there hasn’t been an elite big who didn’t have a guard to get him the ball in order to be dominant,” adding that Mobley doesn’t need to be Tim Duncan to impact winning.

In his eyes, Mobley can play more of a Pau Gasol role next to Donovan Mitchell. Gasol’s best years — 19 points, 10 boards, and two blocks per game — line up closely with Mobley’s production over the last two seasons.

A Western Conference GM put the onus partly on the Cavaliers: “Can he assert himself and can the team feature him more? This is on the team to force him to be more aggressive.”

With Jarrett Allen sidelined, Cleveland has asked Mobley to do more inside the arc, something coach Kenny Atkinson has mentioned regularly. Improved free-throw shooting is part of that equation too. Mobley is at a career-low 63 percent from the line.

A rival assistant coach framed it this way: “He’s a good piece, but not dominant. I’m not sure he has it. He is skilled but not nasty.”

The Cavs aren’t buying into any narrative that Mobley has plateaued, but they agree that consistency will be the next step.

Cleveland still owns one of the league’s best perimeter shooting groups, though shot selection has been uneven.

Getting Mobley to deeper catches and more touches in the paint could settle things down offensively.

Either way, the Cavs aren’t sounding any alarms. Recent Finals teams have looked far worse at this stage, and internally there’s confidence they’ll find their stride as the roster gets healthier and roles stabilize.

Magic

Desmond Bane continues to bring a “dawg mentality” to Orlando, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

Bane dropped 37  points in Tuesday’s win — the third time in six games he’s reached that number — and said the Magic got back to their identity by playing “smash-mouth basketball on both sides of the floor.”

Bane will also receive a bonus for reaching the NBA Cup semifinals and joked, “I just lost $35,000. I gotta go get it back somehow,” referencing the league fine for firing the ball at OG Anunoby on Sunday.

Kings

Sacramento will be without Zach LaVine on Thursday against Denver, The Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reports. LaVine is dealing with soreness in his right thumb. Dennis Schroder is doubtful due to a strained right hip flexor.