Once Evan Mobley put together an All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the standard was set. Teammates, coaches, fans, and media were talking up the seven-footer all summer long, tossing his name into MVP conversations with no hesitation. So, in turn, anything short of meeting those expectations is deemed a failure by some, and maybe, based on how adamant the praise was and Mobley's own words at last year's All-Star Game, that is fair.
Now that Darius Garland is in Los Angeles, it appears the microscope has zoomed in that much further on the 24-year-old forward. People tend to crank that dial when the Cavs lose, and especially on national television.
Though he had a catch-and-drive dunk and made a jump hook, Mobley missed a couple of threes in the last 3:20 of the game when his team was still within striking distance. And despite holding Chet Holmgren to an average scoring game, OKC's power forward snagged 15 rebounds compared to the two that Cleveland's did. They weren't head-to-head for every minute of the game, but that is an alarming discrepancy.
All 13 of Oklahoma City's Thunder offensive rebounds from Sunday.
Where do you think the blame lies? pic.twitter.com/eXb19FU7GD
— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) February 23, 2026
Mobley deserves criticism for that portion of the contest. Even if he's out of position on most Cavs possessions, due to a switch-heavy scheme defensively, recording two total rebounds at that size is simply unacceptable. Track the ball and grab it. When it's in your hands, be strong with it, keep it high, and don't let the opponent wrestle it away from you.
Should he actually shoulder the blame for the majority of the Thunder's extra opportunities? No. There were three instances, maybe four, where Mobley could've done a better job on the defensive glass that weren't related to back-iron misses that found OKC's perimeter players far from the paint.
- At the 7:26 mark of the second quarter, he was staying home on Jaylin Williams to ensure he didn't get a three off; however, when Jared McCain misfired on his floater, he waited just a tick too long to get in the mix with his teammates, who should've come up with it themselves because of a 3-on-2 advantage.
- Similarly, at 9:19 in the fourth, Mobley didn't want to let a red-hot Cason Wallace get a free look in the left corner, so he tried to time a contest on Holmgren from in between as he drove; it forced a miss that rolled off the rim, but neither he nor Donovan Mitchell came up with it.
- Though with a solid position, Mobley did get outmuscled by Hartenstein at the 2:30 mark of the final frame, which allowed Lu Dort to smack it back to the top of the floor.
Evan Mobley's oft-changing Cavs responsibilities
Let's get away from the rebounding thing for just a minute and shift gears to Mobley's overarching offensive game. The Cavs put the ball in his hands early in a point-forward type of role in the first few weeks of the year. It was experimental because that's what you do in the regular season. He was bringing it up and initiating, and when he didn't have it, he was stretching the floor. It was more dribble drive, isolation, self-creation, and kicking out than it was off-ball work.
Then, as the campaign progressed, Cleveland wanted to put Mobley in better positions to succeed, with less handling, like in 2024-25. That meant utilizing him as a middle-floor hub, putting him in screen-and-slips, and getting him closer to the bucket. Mobley boomed in early December, recording four consecutive double-double performances before going down with a left calf injury. He was sidelined for a short five games, then returned on Christmas.
After finding his footing again, Mobley enjoyed a solid month of January, which included the best game of his season. He produced 29 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 blocks in 35 minutes against the Sacramento Kings. He didn't turn it over once and went 13-of-24 from the field. Unfortunately, after another solid showing in Game 2 of a home-and-home series with the Orlando Magic, Mobley experienced more soreness in the same calf. He missed time from January 28 all the way through the NBA All-Star break.
Returning to a much different team, James Harden is now his point guard, which changes the calculus for what Mobley needs to do. At best, on this team, he is the third scoring option. That was different just a few months ago, so there's an adjustment that needs to be made on his end (and Harden's).
Jarrett Allen is already the quintessential pick-and-roll partner for Harden, so where does that leave Mobley? Well, for one, Cleveland needs to get him in the dunker spot right this second. With the gravity that both the ball-handler and roller carry, there should be plenty of opportunities for him to capitalize on. Particularly, alley-oops from either Harden or Allen should be commonplace.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson mentioned Mobley's popping can be used as a weapon, too. He sure as heck isn't shooting the three well right now, which might be due to a lack of lift from the calf, but he is still a confidently capable mid-range shooter. He just has to take them if the opportunity presents itself. Atkinson also sees opportunities in the double-big lineup for him to find mismatches on smaller forwards and guards early. Harden can be trusted to feed him when that happens.
We'll see Mobley together with Mitchell without Harden and Allen on the floor, too. Staggering allows for optionality in terms of style of play. Those two had plenty of success last year and established good chemistry, which should allow for both to succeed as usual. Adding Schroder to that mix also helps because his downhill nature forces defenses to stop the ball.
Painting the whole picture
So many are casually omitting Mobley's defensive acumen when evaluating his game. Being a top-tier deterrent that shuts off driving lanes, sprints to the corners to contest, and alters shots all in one possession isn't making highlight reels unless you're a coach. It's a tough business to be in because, in that department, Mobley is one of one. Find another player at his size who covers that much ground, switches seamlessly, and recovers as well as he does.
Alas, noise comes with the territory of making a lot of money. Mobley has had a down offensive season, and that shows in his season-long production numbers. Does that mean he has plateaued as a basketball player? Not at all. He'll turn 25 in mid-June. Judging by Cleveland's push and pull with his offensive responsibilities, a bothersome calf that held him out twice, and readjusting to life with a new floor general, it makes sense that Mobley doesn't have it all figured out at this point.
However, the Cavs have put the timeline into overdrive. They were basically crowned after an undefeated post-trade-deadline stretch. Garland, his old Core Four two-man-game partner, is gone to the West Coast. Veterans are now in the building, toughening up the locker room to a greater extent so that the team is truly ready for a playoff run.
Hopes are high to the extreme for this fresh-faced wine-and-gold bunch, so anything short of greatness will receive a vitriolic response, whether it's long-term warranted or a momentary reaction in the heat of the battle. That means Mobley will have to acclimate quickly to what is being asked of him and buy into a role that has changed once again.
Whether it's fair or not, it's just the reality of the situation.
