Heading into the Texas-sized tumble between the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs, the battle of the bigs was on everyone's mind. More so, the battle between Cleveland's Evan Mobley and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama was the anticipated matchup, with the future of the NBA on full display.
The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama had his share of breathtaking moments Saturday. Inexplicable fluidity. Lobs that few others can reach. Guard-like step-back jumpers. Blocked shots from out of nowhere. The French phenom did it all for the Spurs, but he wasn't the biggest star on the Hemisfair-inspired hardwood. Instead, it went to Mobley who looked more and more like the unicorn-like player everyone, the Cavs included, expected him to be.
Evan Mobley stands out in Cavs vs. Spurs
“There wasn’t much he wasn’t able to do tonight,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Evan Mobley postgame. “He is just so dynamic. He makes defenses have to make really difficult decisions. I thought he was dominant tonight.”
Mobley, the third-year forward and franchise cornerstone, is playing just his third game following arthroscopic knee surgery that sidelined him for six weeks. He recorded his 13th double-double of the season, tallying 28 points and 10 rebounds. Mobley also chipped in three assists, went 11-of-15 from the field and 3-of-3 from 3-point range in just 24 minutes. It’s the first time in Mobley’s young career making at least three triples in a game, showing the kind of potential that had many forecasting a proverbial third-year leap.
“That takes us to a whole different level,” Cavs star guard Donovan Mitchell said of Mobley. “It’s always competition when you hear about a guy who we all feel can be one of the faces of the league or the face of the league. Especially for Ev, being around the same age and kind of coming up together, you want to send a message for sure. I would love to see that battle for many years, even when I’m retired and they’re still playing.”
While Mitchell might be thinking about the twilight of his career with his dynamic teammate being the face of the league, the performance Mobley gave Cleveland in their 117-111 win over San Antonio is the player the Cavs need him to be going forward. In his short-lived career, Mobley is a 24.0 percent 3-point shooter, attempting a measly 1.2 shots from beyond the arc per game. So, it was surprising to see Cleveland's soft-spoken big man flare out to the perimeter, taking and making attempts with minimal effort. But, if you followed Mobley and his career, this shouldn't be a total surprise. Instead, it's something that's been a long time coming.
For the longest time, Cleveland spoke about how Mobley's outside shot was the next step in his game, allowing the Cavs to create even more space and, more importantly, make Mobley nearly impossible to defend. It's something Mobley has worked extensively on with assistant coach Luke Walton, but it never seemingly would manifest into a staple of his offensive repertoire. While it's a sudden change of pace in this win over the Spurs, Mobley relying more on his perimeter shot is something the Cavs need more from him from now on.
Cleveland plays a semi-antiquated style of basketball with two seven-footers on the floor in Mobley alongside Jarrett Allen. Cavs players in the past have expressed some difficulty playing around two non-shooting bigs like Mobley and Allen. But, if Mobley continues sticking to his perimeter game, on top of the offseason additions of Max Strus and Georges Niang, Cleveland's offensive potential could be limitless.
That'll be most important come playoff time for the Cavs, especially after their one-note performance last postseason against the New York Knicks. Mobley's shot will be worth keeping an eye on going forward and, if it becomes a staple of his game, the next phase for Mobley's growth is finally here.
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