The Cleveland Cavaliers will have the third pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. With the third pick, the Cavs seem to be considering a handful of prospects. These players include Jalen Green, Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Kuminga and Evan Mobley. Green and Mobley have been heavily rumored for the third pick. Recently, reports have emerged Cleveland could be locked in on Mobley.
Chad Ford of NBA Big Board reported sources are signifying Cleveland likes Mobley at the third pick,
Sources say that the team has a slight preference for Mobley and think he’d be a great fit next to Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt, but are also very open to drafting Green, especially as the Cavs explore Sexton trades with an eye toward moving Darius Garland to point guard.
Cleveland is truly in a win-win situation. The Houston Rockets will likely select Green or Mobley at two, the Cavs will then likely select whoever remains of the two. It is surprising to hear Cleveland may actually prefer Mobley over Green, especially with the Sexton trade rumors. Mobley’s defensive ability would be very beneficial for the Cavs. Between drafting Isaac Okoro and potentially moving on from Sexton, Cleveland has been focused on their defense recently. In addition, Mobley would help Cleveland’s size.
Mobley is a 7-foot big man with a 7-foot-4 wingspan out of USC. In his freshman season, Mobley averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.9 blocks and shot 57.8% from the field. Mobley was one of the best frontcourt players in college basketball last season. As his stats show, Mobley was also one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the nation. Perhaps what was most impressive about him was his consistency. Many young players struggle with being consistent. At only 19-years-old, it seemed like Mobley had a double-double in nearly every postseason game during USC’s Elite Eight run.
Mobley certainly deserves to be a high pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. His skillset is unique and works very well with the modern NBA. Mobley can run the floor extremely well for his size and can knockdown jump shots. For comparison, James Wiseman was advertised as a very mobile big in the 2020 NBA Draft. Mobley could be more mobile and athletically-gifted than Wiseman. The comparison between the two is certainly close. Here’s a look at Mobley’s skillset in action.
Mobley easily has the potential to become a franchise player. He has nearly everything you could want in a modern big man.
The most interesting piece in Ford’s report is the idea Cleveland would like to pair Mobley with Jarrett Allen. When the Cavs landed the third pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, reports emerged claiming Cleveland would trade Allen if they selected Mobley. Clearly, this report was not the case.
Mobley and Allen in a frontcourt could work well. As mentioned, Mobley is extremely mobile and has a good jump shot. Power forward would be ideal for Mobley as well since he only weighs around 210 pounds. Mobley and Allen in the frontcourt would immediately elevate Cleveland’s defense. In the 2019-20 season, Cleveland ranked last in defensive efficiency. This led to the selection of Okoro in the 2020 NBA Draft. In the 2020-21 season, the Cavs still struggled defensively ranking 25th in defensive efficiency. Mobley could be the next defensive prospect selected by the Cavs to further address their defense.
The Cavaliers lacked size in their starting lineup this season. First off, the backcourt of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton both at 6-foot-1 was too small. This small backcourt hurt Cleveland’s defense, this could be one reason why the Cavs are looking to move Sexton. Okoro is roughly 6-foot-6, at small forward this is slightly undersized. If Okoro has two 7-footers in Mobley and Allen backing him up, Okoro at small forward will be fine due to his defensive potential.
Also, Allen is already an established shot blocker in the NBA. He averages 1.4 blocks in his career. Mobley is clearly a talented shot blocker averaging 2.9 blocks at USC, this would give the Cavs two rim protectors. Mobley and Allen would also be a great rebounding frontcourt. Allen has averaged over 9.9 rebounds in the last two seasons, and Mobley was a great rebounder at USC.
Mobility is the biggest concern with a Mobley and Allen frontcourt. Allen is not extremely mobile, he is pretty much the traditional center. Mobley is simply a freak athlete. It is hard to fathom a 7-foot player moving and handling the ball like Mobley can. This frontcourt really could work. Even against a small ball lineup, Cleveland could easily pull Allen and move Mobley to center. Mobley is a very attractive option for Cleveland. If Mobley is available at three, look for Cleveland to make the pick. They will then likely re-sign Allen as well. The frontcourt of Mobley and Allen alongside Darius Garland would be very exciting.
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