Cleveland Cavaliers youngster Evan Mobley is entering his second season at the NBA level after a phenomenal rookie campaign.
After a wild offseason, the Cavs are expected to make some noise this season, and Mobley is going to be a huge part of any success the team enjoys.
The 21-year-old looked like a future superstar last season, and it seems like people around the NBA took notice.
According to a recent survey of NBA GMs, there’s an expectation that Mobley will have a breakout season in the 2022-23 campaign.
GMs were asked this question:
“Which player is most likely to have a breakout season in 2022-23?”
Per NBA.com, the results looked like this, with 21 percent of respondents picking Mobley:
“1. Evan Mobley, Cleveland – 21%
“T-2. Cade Cunningham, Detroit – 17%
“T-2. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota – 17%
“4. Zion Williamson, New Orleans – 14%”
A few other players also received consideration:
“Also receiving votes: Anthony Davis, L.A. Lakers; Rudy Gobert, Minnesota; Jalen Green, Houston; Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana; Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State; Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia; Ben Simmons, Brooklyn; Anfernee Simons, Portland; Franz Wagner, Orlando.”
It’s a huge sign of respect for Mobley, and he’ll certainly look to live up to the expectations this season.
Sophomore Leap?
Although he didn’t win Rookie of the Year honors, Mobley put on a show last season.
He averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game while knocking down 50.8 percent of his shots from the field.
Moreover, he made a massive impact on the defensive side of the ball and immediately looked like one of the better defenders in the entire league.
As he continues to gain experience in the NBA, he may very well start to earn some end-of-season honors for his defensive abilities.
That could even happen as soon as this season.
As far as his offensive game is concerned, Mobley is seemingly just getting started.
He was a solid offensive option for a playoff-contending Cavs team last season, but there are areas where he has plenty of room for growth.
For example, Cleveland would undoubtedly love to see him become more aggressive on the offensive end.
He’d also benefit greatly from taking a step forward as a 3-point shooter.
The University of Southern California product knocked down 25.0 percent of his shots from deep last season — a solid starting point for a 7-footer in his rookie year — but he’d become extremely difficult to defend if he started hitting 3s at a higher clip.
Evan Mobley jumper watch 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZuEcnBpHyK
— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) September 2, 2022
It’ll be interesting to see if he improves in that department this season.
A Small Bump In The Road
While there’s a lot of optimism surrounding Mobley’s second season in the league, there’s a little uncertainty regarding his status for the start of the regular season.
The Cavs recently announced that he’s battling an ankle sprain and will miss a week or two.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 3, 2022
Cleveland is set to open its regular season on Oct. 19 against the Toronto Raptors, and it’s unclear if Mobley will be able to suit up for that game.
The Cavs will certainly be careful with the rising star, as there’s no reason to rush him back.
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