(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
After finishing with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a poor showing in the playoffs, losing in the first round to the New York Knicks in five games.
Big man Evan Mobley played poorly in that series, but he has lots of potential, and he’s already one of the NBA’s better defensive players.
In fact, on Tuesday, he was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
2022-23 NBA All-Defensive teams:
First team: Jaren Jackson Jr., Brook Lopez, Alex Caruso, Evan Mobley, Jrue Holiday
Second team: Bam Adebayo, OG Anunoby, Dillon Brooks, Draymond Green, Derrick White
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 9, 2023
Mobley averaged 1.5 blocked shots and 9.0 rebounds a game in the regular season, and late in the season, he stepped things up with 31 blocks in 14 games during the month of March.
He also stepped up his offense a bit by increasing his scoring after the calendar turned over to 2023.
With Mobley patrolling the paint, the Cavs finished the regular season with the league’s best defensive rating despite sporting one of the league’s youngest rosters.
Offensively, he has lots of room for improvement thanks to his ability to handle the ball and create off the dribble.
Many feel that if and when he develops a reliable perimeter shot and low-post game, he has the potential to become as great a player as the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis or perhaps even Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett.
As a result, Cleveland has a high ceiling.
They already possess Darius Garland, one of the NBA’s brightest young point guards, as well as four-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who had his best season yet, averaging 28.3 points per game at the young age of 26.
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