[Official] Evan Mobley as a Cleveland Cavaliers thread

I'd say the guy who finished 3rd in DPOY, first team all defense is more than "slightly better on defense' than the guy who never got a single vote for either?

 

Feel sorry for the guy. That was a very awkward landing.

 

I don't put a lot of stock in those award votings. A big part of them is by reputation/narrative.

Anyway, Jabari's defense wasn't very good his rookie year. He has improved a lot in his second season and moved much closer to Mobley's level. And the team defense Jabari played in in his rookie season compared to his second year team and Mobley's Cleveland team is like homeless shelter compared to multi-million dollar mansion.

 

It's not like Evan Mobley just lucked onto the all defensive voting due to "reputation/narrative" - he crushed it last year on defensive stats (both traditional and advanced) for one of the league's elite defenses.

More importantly, just eye test wise he's a disruptive defender who can guard the perimeter AND provide rim protection AND is an elite defensive rebounder - he's just in a class that Jabari Smith is not in and frankly doesn't have the athleticsm to ever be in on defense. I'm no scout, but Smith just isn't quick enough to recover and switch and chagne directions the way the truly elite defenders like Draymond, Mobley, JJ Junior do, and doesn't have the leaping ability some of them possess to disrupt shots out of nowhere.

You can certainly rely on Jabari Smith to play hard on defense and not lose you too many points, but you can't build oen around him the way you could with Mobley.

"Slightly better" is a very Rocket-centric take and isn't really creible to a neutral. I know there's some people here for whom burnishing Mobley is important due to their self-perceived draftnik reputations and arguments dating back to 2021 - I do not know **** about drafting players, so that's not me.

Anywya, even though Wemby has a lock on DPOY for the next 10 years, Mobley's is likely to continue getting awards and accolades that Smith is unlikely to ever get in the conversation for - and there's substance behind it, not just hype.

 

The former MoF now a WoF lol. No hesitation to dump on a Rockets player to bump up his idol.

Funny how the eye test applies except to Wemby who automatically became better than the MVP before playing his first NBA game.

 

[Bontemps] “The Cavs and the Wolves made trades at the same time for the same reason: they thought they had budding superstars. The Wolves have one, but the jury is out on whether Evan Mobley is going to become one or if he’s gonna become somebody more like Derrick Favors…”

 

[DOY]

 

I listened to this whole podcast yesterday.

I don't understand why ESPN has Tim Bontemps on, the guy is just a professional hater. Hated the Rockets, hated Harden, hates Jalen Green, he just seems to hate basically every player and team in the league and disparages them. I don't get the appeal at all.

 

Laissez les Tim Bontemps rouler, Sam.

 

"New Orleans is a dump and beignets are overpriced donut holes" - (in nasally Tim Bontemps grouch voice)

 

It is quite the ironic last name he has.

 

Mr. Good Times.

 

A beta tweener center that can't shoot and can't defend bigger centers. That's what Mobley is. Weakside shot blocker that pumps up his stats by having Jarrett "Training Wheels" Allen next to him all the time. People here are up in arms about Jabari's development but I'm taking him 10/10 times vs Evan Mobley who's just useless Jabari Smith.

 

The cavaliers intentionally stagger the minutes of Mobley and Allen for spacing reasons on offense, but sure ok man!

 

Mobley's ass just too high SMH.