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Throughout the course of the 2024-25 NBA season, the only award that seemed to be a given was Victor Wembanyama leading the way in the race for Defensive Player of the Year. What many have overlooked is how Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley has been one of the most improved players in the league, especially in terms of his defense and impact on winning.
With about one month left in the season, Mobley is now the heavy favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year award. This has been a breakout season for the Cavaliers' 23-year-old, and he is finally proving his worth after signing a five-year, $225 million contract extension over the summer.
Cleveland believed that Mobley could become a cornerstone of their franchise, and he is living up to the expectations he placed on himself before the 2024-25 season began.
Before the Cavs became the best team in the league and before they even took the court, Mobley made it his goal to achieve two things: become an All-Star and win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Well, Cleveland is 51-10 ahead of a clash with the Miami Heat on Wednesday in large part because of Mobley's contributions, and he was recently named one of three All-Stars from this team next to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.
The only personal goal Mobley has left to achieve is winning the Defensive Player of the Year award, and his path to doing so doesn't appear to have any obstacles in the way. This is especially true now that Mobley's competitors have effectively dropped out of the race.
Victor Wembanyama, Jaren Jackson Jr. open the door
On the verge of clinching a playoff spot in their 62nd game of the season, Mobley and the Cavs are continuing to evolve every time they take the floor.
Just one season ago, there were a lot of questions being asked about Mobley's commitment to growth in Cleveland and what his long-term role would be. After being named to the All-Defensive team during the 2022-23 season, the Cavs big man took a step in the wrong direction as a result of injury concerns that limited him to only 50 appearances last year.
Even so, Cleveland still believed in his abilities with Kenny Atkinson taking over on the sidelines. The result — Mobley became one of the best two-way frontcourt players in the entire NBA.
The spotlight of Defensive Player of the Year has been cast on Mobley for several reasons. Outside of the fact that he is among the best rim protectors in the league and the anchor of the Cavs' defense, Mobley has seen his competition vanish on the injury report.
Wembanyama, the sure-thing Defensive Player of the Year candidate entering the All-Star break, played in 46 games before being ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Since he did not play a minimum of 65 games, the San Antonio Spurs star does not qualify for end-of-season honors.
With Wembanyama out of the equation, Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. appeared to be favored to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award. That is no longer the case after Jackson suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain and is week-to-week with only about five weeks left in the regular season.
Jackson has played 59 total games and would need to play at least six more times this season to qualify for end-of-season honors.
As good as Wemby and Jackson have been defensively this season, their injuries shouldn't discredit the season Mobley has had. After all, the Cavs big man isn't going to win the Defensive Player of the Year award solely because he is third in line.
Cleveland is as good as they are, and suddenly the top team in the Eastern Conference over the defending champion Boston Celtics, not only because of how well Mitchell, Garland, and Jarrett Allen have been on offense but also because of how Mobley has improved on both sides of the floor over the last year.
How Evan Mobley's defense has evolved
Since the start of February, the Cavs own the third-best defensive rating in the NBA. In this same span, Mobley has averaged 2.2 blocks per game, sixth-most in the league, and he's the main reason for Cleveland's defensive dominance.
The fact of the matter is that when Mobley plays and is on the court, the Cavs are one of the best defensive teams in the league. Without him, this team has gaps that teams look to expose on the interior.
Atkinson has recognized his young player's growth this season, and the Cavs head coach made it clear that Mobley has been an X-factor this season with the way he has taken that next step in his career.
“I’ve said this to Evan—your next step is believing you have all of the tools,” Atkinson told reporters before a recent win over the Knicks. “There’s a belief with these guys … they just have this almost irrational confidence. Evan is not a not-confident person, but we need to get him to be a little more irrational. A little more, ‘Man, I’m going to be this guy.’ I think that’s his next step. All the tools are there.”
Regarding Mobley's mindset and the Defensive Player of the Year award, the first-time All-Star knows this award is his to lose at this juncture.
“I’m definitely looking forward and looking towards winning that,” Mobley stated, via ClutchPoints' Evan Dammarell. “I mean, the main thing is winning games, right?
“Hopefully, get to the championship before all that, but that’s definitely been on my mind.”
If he seizes the Defensive Player of the Year award, this would be the confirmation that Cleveland has wanted regarding the gamble they took on Mobley.
Although his first three seasons in the league were solid, Mobley had yet to take that next step in his career and fully define himself as a core player next to Mitchell, Garland, and Allen. That is one of the reasons why Cleveland was so heavily involved in trade rumors about some part of their roster changing over the summer.
Despite all the outside attention and noise, the Cavs believed in Mobley and the talent around him. Atkinson's arrival and using his learning experiences through the years have unlocked new potential in Mobley, allowing him to become the All-Star and soon-to-be Defensive Player of the Year he's been this season.
Of course, there is also a revenge factor motivating Mobley since he finished third behind Brook Lopez and Jackson for the award during the 2022-23 season.
Mitchell is the star of the Cavs and puts them in a position to contend. Garland and Allen are the stabilizers that have allowed this team to be winning threats each and every night. What makes Mobley special and different from his teammates is that he will determine just how far Cleveland can go in the playoffs.
Between his size, defensive abilities, and offensive skill, Mobley is the ultimate X-factor in the Cavs' championship pursuit.
Defensive Player of the Year could complicate Cavs' finances
Winning a championship is the only thing on the minds of everyone associated with the Cavaliers.
This team finds themselves on an 11-game win streak entering Wednesday, and they are just one of four teams in league history to achieve such a streak three different times in the same season.
The Los Angeles Lakers (1999-00) were the only team to go on to win a title after having three win streaks of 11 or more games, as the Dallas Mavericks (2006-07) and Houston Rockets (2017-18) didn't even make the NBA Finals.
Cleveland has excellent balance on both sides of the basketball and excellent depth to go along with the All-Stars in their starting lineup. They will undoubtedly be title favorites when the playoffs begin.
Regardless of how the Cavs perform in the playoffs, this organization has gone all-in financially.
Garland and Mitchell are both under contract through the 2027-28 season. Allen won't be a free agent until the following season, and newly acquired forward De'Andre Hunter has two more seasons left on his current contract. Mobley reached an extension with the Cavaliers before this past summer, a deal that will be impacted by his upcoming Defensive Player of the Year honor.
His contract is worth at least $224 million and will increase to $269 million should he take home the end-of-season honor, which appears to be a given. That $45 million difference will instantly increase Cleveland's overall payroll, making it extremely difficult for them to remain below the second apron.
At the same time, isn't this kind of what the Cavs want since their players' contracts hitting certain incentive marks and increasing directly results in winning? This core of Mitchell, Garland, Allen, and Mobley has been arguably the best in the league all season, and they have the two-way prowess to be a legitimate championship threat over the Celtics in the East.
Although their financial situation could become complicated by Mobley's expected Defensive Player of the Year honor, the Cavaliers find themselves in a position they've long wanted to be in without LeBron James carrying the team.
For once, Cleveland has built their own identity outside of James, starting on defense with Mobley. At 23 years old, Mobley has proven to be the Cavs' most valuable player and potentially the reason they find themselves contending for the Larry O'Brien Trophy a few months from now.
