Evan Mobley Will Have Big Shoes to Fill if Jarrett Allen is Out During the Playoffs
Evan Mobley has had a great start to his NBA career, but with Cleveland’s starting center, Jarrett Allen, set to be out indefinitely, Mobley will need to step up now, more than ever before.
Mobley is averaging 14.8 points per game, 8.2 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game, and 1.7 blocks per game.
This is the time for Mobley to elevate his game during Allen’s absence and lock in the Rookie of the Year Award while helping lead his team to the playoffs.
Evan Mobley’s performance at USC
After just one year at the University of Southern California, Mobley averaged 16.4 points per game, 8.7 rebounds per game, and 2.9 blocks per game in 33 games, resulting in him winning the Pac-12 Player of the Year Award.
2021 NBA draft and analysis on Evan Mobley’s game
NBA scouts were projecting Mobley to be a top-five draft pick. The biggest takeaway from NBA scouts was that Mobley was very athletic and energetic. The biggest weakness was his outside shot.
Mobley, a versatile big man, who could play small forward, power forward, and center at seven-foot, 210 pounds, was selected №3 in the 2021 NBA draft.
With attention turned to the top guards of the draft class in Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green, the Cavaliers were able to draft Mobley at №3, and thus far, he has not disappointed.
Evan Mobley must elevate his game for the Cavs to avoid the play-in game
Cleveland is currently the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 38–27 record. However, with the fractured finger injury to All-Star center Jarrett Allen, Mobley will have big shoes to fill.
In Allen’s two-game absence, Mobley has averaged 21 points per game, 14.5 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists per game. If this is any indication of how he will perform until Allen returns, that is a good sign for the Cavaliers.
Evan Mobley has the highest odds of winning Rookie of the Year
Currently, Mobley leads the pack for the Rookie of the Year Award, followed by Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, and №1 draft pick, Cade Cunningham.
In 57 games played, Mobley has gotten 17 double-doubles, leading all rookies in that category.
He also leads rookies in rebounds and blocks. He is fourth in points per game among rookies, showing no signs of slowing down, en route to winning the Rookie of the Year Award.
NBA players had high praise for Evan Mobley
Mobley’s impressive rookie season caught the eye of a three-time NBA champion and a six-time member of the All-Defensive Team, Draymond Green.
“Mobley will be most improved and an ALL-STAR next year,” Green tweeted.
Mobley has also received high praise from teammate Jarrett Allen. Recently, Allen appeared on Brian Windhorst’s podcast and said, “Evan is a once in a lifetime player.”
The final stretch before the playoffs for Mobley and the Cavs
The NBA playoffs begin next month, as the Cavs sit in sixth place, just outside of the play-in game, while being 5.5 games out of first place. These next few weeks could determine whether the Cavs have what it takes to win in the playoffs or wait another year to accomplish that goal.
As it stands right now, the Cavs will be matched up with the Milwaukee Bucks or Philadelphia 76ers. The one thing those two teams have in common is a dominating big man.
Pending Jarrett Allen’s recovery, Evan Mobley may be tasked with guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo or Joel Embiid in the playoffs. That could be his biggest task yet, considering they will match up at least four times in that series.
Mobley leads rookies in blocks per game, and he has shown to be a solid defender all season long. However, facing one of the most dominating players in the league will be a challenge for any player, including a rookie.
Another scenario could be that the Cavs end up in the fourth or fifth seed and face the Boston Celtics or Chicago Bulls. Either way, Mobley will need to have big performances, similar to his recent game against the Pacers where he posted 22 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, three assists, and one block, for the Cavs to succeed in the playoffs.
