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Evan Mobley’s 2024-25 season was the culmination of years of potential, patience, and promise finally crystallizing into something undeniable. Crowned the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year and named to the All-Defensive First Team for the second time in his young career, the 23-year-old big man has emphatically arrived as one of the league’s premier stoppers and as the centerpiece of Cleveland’s championship aspirations. Mobley also joins franchise legend LeBron James as one of the few Cavs players to earn multiple All-Defensive honors, further cementing his greatness.
Mobley was a foundational force behind the Cavs’ eighth-ranked defense. He averaged 1.6 blocks per game (6th in the league), grabbed 7.0 defensive rebounds per game (13th), and contested 10.4 shots nightly—third most among all players meeting the 70% games played threshold. The Cavs allowed just 111.8 points per 100 possessions overall, but when Mobley was on the court, that number plummeted to 108.6, which would’ve ranked second in the NBA.
Cleveland’s 64-18 regular-season record was the best in franchise history without LeBron James. And Mobley was at the heart of it, averaging a career-high 18.5 points on 55.7% shooting, while also contributing 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. He was the only player in the league this year to tally at least 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 60 steals, and 100 blocks.
The Cavs' future rests on Evan Mobley's shoulders
Mobley’s Defensive Player of the Year award, secured with 35 first-place votes, was more than a personal milestone. It signaled that he’s no longer a player with promise, but one delivering on it. And while his offensive game remains a work in progress, the flashes have become more frequent. There’s improved footwork in the post, a softening jumper from the perimeter, and a budding comfort as a ball handler in transition.
But the Cavs don’t have the luxury of waiting for gradual improvement. With Donovan Mitchell eligible for free agency in two years and the franchise barreling into second-apron tax territory, internal growth isn’t just a development plan. It’s a necessity.
“This is a big offseason again for Evan,” Altman said. “We‘re going to go as a franchise, as Evan is going to go. And we‘ve had that conversation with Evan.”
That belief is shared internally and now publicly. Mobley’s five-year, $224 million extension, one that could balloon to $269 million, already feels like an investment made with the playoffs in mind. The Cavs aren’t just asking Mobley to become a star. They’re banking on him to become the superstar who tips a playoff series. The kind of force that forces opponents to rewrite their game plans.
Mitchell, Cleveland’s All-NBA guard and emotional heartbeat, did everything he could in the postseason, often to his physical limit. But even he understands the Cavs’ ceiling isn’t defined by his brilliance alone.
“We have a guy who is an All-NBA level talent,” Mitchell said of Mobley at his end-of-the-season media availability. ” [He will be a] top-5 player in the league one day, and he‘s continuing to grow into that.”
Next season is critical for Cleveland's success
Unfortunately, the playoffs didn’t deliver that coronation. Mobley’s usage dropped, and his assertiveness flickered. However, the injury he battled through and the flashes he showed reaffirmed the vision. Next season isn’t about flirtation with greatness. It’s about owning it.
Mobley doesn’t have to be loud. He doesn’t need to lead with charisma or quotes. Instead, he needs to lead by being the anchor. By being the reason Cleveland wins games in April, May, and, hopefully, in June.
Because in today’s NBA economy, built around compressed timelines and luxury-tax penalties, bets on player growth are the only currency teams like the Cavs can afford to spend. There is no blueprint, no championship experience to lean on in Cleveland. They must forge their way. And Mobley must be the one to lead it.
The clock on Mitchell’s prime is ticking. The league’s financial system is closing in. But if Mobley continues this ascent, from Defensive Player of the Year to a playoff-tilting force, the Cavs might just win that bet.
Cleveland doesn’t need Mobley to be the best player in the NBA. They need him to believe he is.
