The great man of the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley, is special, giving him the distinction of Rookie of the Year from Sporting News, as voted by over twelve members of our staff in the World NBA at the end of the regular season. Selected third overall in 2021, Mobley quickly made his presence felt in Cleveland, playing his part in leading the franchise to a 44-38 record with averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1 , 7 plugs per game. MORE: The case of MVP for Nikola Jokic without advanced statistics: Why he is the player of the year in the NBA of SN Before Mobley, only seven rookies in 75 years of NBA history averaged 15 or more points, eight or more rebounds, two or more assists and more than 1.5 blocks per game. All but two were named Rookie of the Year NBA. Whether or not Mobley wins the NBA title remains to be seen, but whether the SN vote is an indicator will be a tough battle between him and Raptors rookie Scottie Barnes. For a full transparency vote, Barnes won seven first-place votes against Mumbley’s six, but Mumbley surpassed Barnes by a total of two points in the final standings. The reason? Barnes, who finished second in the SN poll, won a third-place vote, with no voters putting Mobley lower than second. This proved to be the difference between a draw and a final victory for Mobley. As the voter who put Barnes first, there is no real wrong answer, but that’s why Mobley is a worthy choice for Rookie of the Year.
The catalyst
When Cleveland selected Mobley third overall, many thought it could mean the end of Jarrett Allen’s time with the franchise. When the Cavs re-signed Allen as a free agent, questions began to arise about the intricate match between two traditional big men in the modern game. It did not take long for Mobley to show that he was far from a traditional big man. In his NBA debut, the 7-foot Mobley started on a front yard with 6-foot-11 Allen and his 7-foot teammate Lauri Markannen. The Cavs ironically went low, but Mobley finished with 17 points, nine rebounds and six assists, proving that this turn of the new era into a traditional approach can work. Mobley’s 2.5 assists per game may not jump off the page, but his game will. The big one finds the big man. 📱: pic.twitter.com/Ab0KeSX0qt – Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) November 1, 2021 Mobley’s ability to find his teammates from position or break was the key to Cleveland’s ability to break the norm, which in turn led to the team’s success. You really do not see 7-legs doing this very often. GREAT IN THE DIALEMA! #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/Vfcfzk6llI – Bally Sports Cleveland (@BallySportsCLE) March 9, 2022 Combine Mobley’s willingness as a passer with his instinct as a scorer and you have the modern big man doing things we thought were unusual for a 7-foot. This reverse of Evan Mobley is incredible! He has reached 14 points in the first quarter of the NBA League Pass! See here: pic.twitter.com/h5digrYCzg – NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2021
The defender
What Mobley has in common with some 7-feet is its ability to restore and protect the lip. Make a dozen for @evanmobley’s swat series! He is the first Cavs rookie from Big Z to record one block in 12 consecutive games and many blocks in 7 consecutive games. # LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/AwbpAtQ341 – Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 4, 2021 In addition to his 8.3 rebounds, which led the entire rookie division, Mobley’s 1.7 blocks per game are ranked first among all rookies and sixth among all players in the league – only Jaren Jackson Jr., Robert Williams III, Rudy Gobert, Mitchell Robinson and Jakob Poeltl had a higher average. This is the company for a 20 year old. That said, there is more to being a solid rim protector against blockages and internal defense than rim protection. Mobley has covered that too. Mobley’s 849 contested shots in 69 games are fourth in the league behind Gobert (862), Nikola Jokic (901) and Poeltl (964). Again, elite company for a rookie still learning the NBA game. As a defensive factor in year 1, just imagine how catalytic Mobley will be in a few years.
The winner
More than anything else, the biggest advantage of Mobley’s season should be his impact on the win. The last time the Cavaliers had a winning season that did not include LeBron James was in 1998, three years before Mobley was born. This season, Cleveland finished six games over 0,500, but was even better (40-29) in the 69 games that Mobley matched. Without him? The Cavs were 4-9 (0.308), although it is worth noting that Mobley and Allen remained on the sidelines at the same time towards the end of the season. While some rookies have found themselves in situations where wins have been high, Mobley is in the rare selection of a top five to play substantial games after the season. For a franchise like Cleveland, which wants to be rebuilt for continued success, Mobley is the part that has accelerated the franchise’s progress, making it stand out from the crowd. This is what won him the SN Rookie of the Year.
