Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has admitted that this season has been different for him personally. Typically known for his durability on the court, Mobley has missed 32 games for Cleveland this season due to a sprained ankle or knee surgery. In what many had hoped would be a year three leap into superstardom, injuries clouded the vision of what or who Mobley could be as a player. Nevertheless, Mobley didn't let the physical setbacks keep him from honing his craft.
“He can shut down the paint defensively, and we know his ability to switch and guard guys on the perimeter,” Bickerstaff said. “I think what separates him, and I don’t think he gets enough credit for this, he’s able to do it without fouling. He’s very rarely in foul trouble because he’s always early to his spot, and his technique is so sound.”
Instead of showcasing his growth every night on the floor in front of fans, he quietly observed from the sideline, mentally noting what he needed to improve. From there, Mobley put his theories in motion, working with Luke Walton and other Cleveland assistant coaches in the lab behind the scenes.
While Mobley would eventually return to the court, he knew it would take time for his hard work to translate into how the Cavaliers functioned on either end. For a while, there were small flashes that were almost teases of the player Mobley was becoming. But, in Cleveland's 117-114 home win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Mobley's entire body of work game together, with everything crystallizing in the game's final moments.
A big-time shot from Cavaliers' big man
In crunch time, Mobley flared out to the corner instead of rolling toward the basket in a routine pick-and-roll with Darius Garland. Left wide open by the Sixers, Mobley calmly hit a game-winning, corner three-pointer to give the Cavaliers the lead in the final 30 seconds. The shot was an exclamation point on a night where Mobley didn't score in the first half before pouring on 20 points in the second half. But, to Mobley, this was by design and he allowed the flow of the game to dictate his on-court priorities.
Evan Mobley gives the Cavs the lead with 28.2 seconds left in the game 🔥pic.twitter.com/SPjzWOqV1l
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 30, 2024
“First half, I was really just getting rebounds,” Mobley said postgame. “Second half, [I] tried to come out and just be as aggressive as possible. A lot of guys were getting denied, so I would just take it down and try to create something myself. That really got me going.
“That was just me trying to stay locked in no matter what the first half [was] and just being present in the game.”
At the beginning of the season, Mobley was hesitant to create for himself out of the pure desire to make the right play every possession. If this late-game play against Philadelphia were to happen then, Mobley might've attacked the basket or passed to a teammate instead. But after months of working on growing his confidence in himself and his three-point ability, Mobley was ready for this opportunity when his team needed him the most.
“I feel like my game naturally is definitely a downhill player and driving the ball, but I feel like what’s best for this team and how the league is today, there’s a lot more 3-pointers being shot and stuff like that, so I’ve got to be comfortable with both, having both in my game,” Mobley said.
Mobley's three-point shot is just another weapon in his arsenal. While his selflessness hasn’t gone away, Mobley's three-point acumen has made defenses wary of the multiple ways he can be an offensive threat for the Cavaliers. His three-pointer is still not a total staple of his game, but there's still more room for growth. But, the game-winning shot clearly indicates Mobley's continued growth into the player everyone expected him to be. Sure, it may have happened behind the scenes instead of on the court but for now, everything is finally starting to come together for Mobley.
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