Just trade up and get Kai Jones. He's basically Evan Mobley on discount. https://twitter.com/thunderdustin/status/1415575733422940164?s=19
So hilarious that "advanced guard skills" is what we call it when a 7 footer can dribble and pass. Utterly ridiculous. Could he start at the 1 or 2? If not then his guard skills aren't even average, never mind "advanced." The most pedestrian "advanced skills" highlights I've ever seen.
Context obviously matters. He does have “advanced guard skills” for a center, meaning he can play at the wing and penetrates well, which is important for a modern center. No one is starting Jokic at the 2, but he has advanced guard skills for a center, hence why he’s so effective. It’s no different than when a draft profile states that a guard plays well around the rim.
Re-read what you just wrote. You can't simultaneously have and not have advanced guard skills, this isn't a cat in a box. He has "some" guard skills, which is great and way more than most centers have, but to call them advanced is disingenuous at best, and downright idiotic/nonsense at worst. This is my problem with a lot of the Mobley fans, there's nothing regarding realism. Maybe it's because he's a "unicorn" that's making everybody live in a fantasy land, I dunno. But let's be real about it. He's a very good defender who's massively undersized for the people he's going to be defending at this level (more than fixable with time, I have no doubt he'll be a top flight defender in a couple of years, but he isn't entering the league as a defensive road block for these experienced pros in the slightest - be real.) He's got excellent mobility for his size, better than average ball handling and passing skills for his size too, but these are not remotely at the level where he could play any kind of guard or wing position right now, and are not advanced by any stretch of any imagination as "guard skills." He's not a great rebounder yet but again, I'd expect him to improve on that as time goes on as he grows into his frame and doesn't get pushed around as much. Why is it not ok to be realistic about it when we all have the tape to see through the overexaggerated nonsense? People are so hung up on the notion of a "unicorn" they're convincing themselves this kid is remotely comparable to a typical NBA ball handler, and it's just not remotely grounded in reality. Starting NBA guards are going to abuse this kid for a couple of years, this is not college. The learning curve is going to be a tough one with shorter players being way more agile, skilled and playing at a much faster rate. Taller players are going to manhandle him until he's fully grown. There's nothing wrong with that and barring injury I'm sure he's going to be a great player, but cut the crap already for real.
Again, he has advanced guard skills FOR A CENTER. Why is this difficult to understand? My 5 year old has advanced math skills for his age because he can add. Honestly, this isn’t a difficult concept.
What C’s in the last several years have had better dribbling skills than him? Honest question because I don’t have a clue.
Nice try, I haven't seen that qualifier UNTIL NOW though. It's been "he has advanced guard skills." That's it. No "for a center" no "for his position" no "for his size." Simply "He has advanced guard skills." Which is pure bullshit.
What's that got to do with the conversation I'm having exactly? That's not the point that's being debated. The point is "he has advanced guard skills" which he unequivocally does not, in any reality, ever. Sure, he has great ball handling skills for a center, and good passing skills. For a guard though, he'd be awful. So people need to start saying "excellent ball handling skills for a big man" and not "advanced guard skills." If a guard had the skills he had, they're not making the league. Fact.
The hyperbole is out of hand around here. Mobley doesn't have advanced guard skills for an NBA player but he is definitely more skilled than most NBA centers offensively. No doubt. Does AD (or any other big) have advanced guard skills such that they'd be NBA players at 6'3"? No imo. I think the tear the other guy down rather than build up Green or Mobley has resulted in all of this nonsense. Real world: both guys are equal prospects and it really is just a matter of what the Rockets value: the two way big man or high scoring guard. Whoever they choose will clue everyone in on the type of team they think they can construct to optimize their chances at contending.
@cdain3 living in Austin I watched a fair amount of Kai (including live) over the last two years. it’s a bit of an enigma. Absolutely he was massively underutilized and underdeveloped by Smart. At the same time … he has a lot of work to do. For anyone saying Mobley is a wing … Kai is a guy being mocked as a C pick, or PF, who I’ve always thought about basically as a wing. When he was in for UT you weren’t thinking oh here comes our center… even to the extent he came in at center. but yeah… I’d love Kai… but for the fact that he’s risen up the draft boards so much. Like at 23… sign me the f up. At 13… seems a stretch.
He doesn't have advanced guard skills. He has better guard skills (passing) than Green however...who is a guard.
I love this guy. Was hoping to get him at 23.....maybe we trade up to 13 to get him? He will be a great pro. DD
This is the first installment in a two-part series with college basketball expert Seth Davis discussing two of the lesser talked-about lottery prospects, USC’s Evan Mobley and Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs. In this installment, we discuss Evan Mobley. Kelly Iko: Thanks for doing this, Seth. Recently, we’ve heard a lot about Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green. With the Rockets having the second pick in the draft and those two playing somewhat similar positions, it makes sense. But Evan Mobley out of USC is every bit as talented as his peers in the upcoming draft class. He’s been mocked to Houston here and there, but why do you think he’s not getting as much buzz as the other two? Mobley's Offensive Breakdown PLAY TYPE % TIME PPP RANK P&R Roll Man 17.9 1.089 65th Post Up 15.9 0.712 29th Spot Up 14.9 1 70th Cut 12.5 1.302 72nd Transition 8.9 1.222 81st Isolation 6.9 0.914 72nd P&R Ball Handler 3 0.933 85th Seth Davis: Easy: He plays after dark! For someone who won the league’s player of the year, freshman of the year and defensive player of the year (last guy to do that in a power conference was Anthony Davis), Mobley really didn’t generate much buzz during the college basketball season. Even people who knew who he was and saw his numbers didn’t watch him play much. The Pac-12 does not have very high visibility in the TV marketplace, and of course, the games tip off late back east. USC may have reached the Elite Eight, but it was a borderline top-25 team all season, and it is not considered one of the “marquee” programs in the league (UCLA, Arizona and Oregon usually snatch those honors). All that said, people who follow basketball, and certainly the front office folks in Houston who have been tracking Mobley since he was in high school, know how talented this young man is. Cade Cunningham won’t be available at No. 2, so Houston’s decision between Mobley and Green comes down to positional needs more than anything. If there is a concern about Mobley, it’s whether he can — or even needs to — develop his offensive game to fit today’s NBA. It’s nice to protect the rim and score on the block, but if you can’t make shots behind that 3-point line, it’s hard to be a really high-level NBA player. Mobley has a nice stroke and has shown he can make midrange shots, so I’d say he has the potential to be a consistent 3-point shooter if he works at it. He doesn’t have to make a ton of them; he just has to make enough to keep defenses honest in the pick-and-pop. For this reason, I would lean towards taking Green with this pick, but if Mobley ends up going to Houston, you won’t hear any blowback from me. Iko: Public perception is pretty much neck and neck at this point. It’s not the easiest task in the world to be glued to a beat and still keep up with the college world at the same time. Mobley certainly went under the radar this season, but how would you evaluate his overall freshman season on a month-to-month basis? What did you like? What didn’t you like? Davis: Pick any month you want! Mobley started the season going for 21 points, nine rebounds and three assists in a win over California Baptist. Remember now, this was a kid who came in with a lot of hype. It’s not like he flew in under the radar. He had good players around him, but he’s probably the only pro on that roster. (His older brother, Isaiah, decided to withdraw from the draft and return for his junior season.) His preparation, discipline and demeanor were stellar all the way through. He’s a well-spoken, somewhat soft-spoken kid, and he’s been groomed for this, so he’s definitely mature beyond his years. I don’t know that I would call it a concern, but that niceness is something I kind of wonder about. There are plenty of nice guys who are mean competitors between the lines. Mobley plays basketball in such a measured, almost cheerful way that you have to wonder how much dog he really has in him? Any college freshman needs to add strength, but he is slightly built, so I wonder how much strength he can put on. Then again, in today’s NBA game, the centers are much more agile and finesse-like. That’s why it’s so important for him to develop a respectable 3-point shot. He made 12-for-40 (30 percent) from 3 on the season, which might seem bad, but when you’re talking about a 7-foot 19-year-old center, that shows me he has it in his game somewhere. He just needs to put in those 10,000 hours.
Iko: I’m glad you brought up his shooting at the end. At least as it pertains to Houston, drafting Mobley probably puts him in the starting lineup alongside Christian Wood, right? I say this only because the Rockets experimented with this two-big lineup, slotting Kelly Olynyk next to Wood during the second half of the season. It generated mixed results honestly, but the main takeaway is Houston’s coaching staff was confident enough to give it a try — or injuries forced their hand, whichever floats your boat. The spacing wasn’t a problem for those two, and Mobley being able to hit threes is extremely important for his future (assuming he’ll improve). But how much experience did Mobley have playing with another true big at USC? I know the college game is scaled down from the pros, but would this be the first time he’s played big minutes next to another skilled center? The closest thing I could see from last season was the times he shared the floor with his brother, Isaiah, who shot much better from behind the arc (43.6 percent) but who’s classified as a forward and operated in the post at times. How much confidence do you have in his fit at the next level in a two-big lineup? Davis: The Mobley brothers playing together is the closest thing to the scenario you’re describing. Yes, Isaiah shot nearly 44 percent as you said, but he only averaged 1.2 attempts per game from behind the arc. Evan averaged the same number. Yet, both those guys showed some offensive versatility as well, so I don’t think Evan would have trouble playing with another big. He may not be a 3-pointer shooter (yet), but he’s still very skilled for a guy his size; plus, he also averaged 2.4 assists per game. He can play in space, and you can run your offense through him. Let’s face it, in the NBA, you’re better off only playing one big if you can. I see Evan more like a traditional power forward at the next level than a true center. He’s much more comfortable facing the basket, where he can use his quickness, ballhandling and passing ability. I think he’ll be great passing out of double teams. And if you have to respect him in the pick-and-roll, he’ll be devastating as a finisher on lobs and tip dunks. He’ll be one of the best finishers in the NBA on Day 1. So if he’s healthy and progressing as I’d expect, I don’t think the Rockets coaches will be so inclined to play another big man in there. Iko: I think you laid out exactly why he’s such a gifted offensive player. Any concerns on the other end of the floor? If he’s more of a power forward than a center, does that affect who he’s asked to guard in the NBA? Mobley has a thin frame, and we’ve seen what can happen when those types of players go up against bigger, stronger matchups. In 2021, there aren’t as many “bruisers” as in decades past, but the Jokics, Embiids, Aytons of the world still exist, as well as the bevy of physical forwards in both conferences. Davis: Well, it doesn’t look to me like anyone is doing a good job defending those three guys. At the very least, Mobley won’t do any worse! To your point, the down-low bangers and bruisers are definitely fewer and farther between. To the extent that someone in that mold could cause Mobley a problem, he could presumably cause that player even bigger problems at the other end of the floor by forcing him to play in space — especially if he makes the improvements on his shooting range that I anticipate. After all, being strong while also being light on your feet defensively usually don’t go together.
Agreed. I always roll my eyes when someone labels him as just a center. Dude is one of those rare athletes that can play 3-5 at 6-11.
It will also be some sweet 5 out offense with two 7 footers that can put ball on floor and get to rim.
