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Evan Mobley's growth with Cavs high on Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson's list of priorities
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- Evan Mobley's growth with Cavs high on Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson's list of priorities
CLEVELAND — From Paris to Los Angeles , new Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has kept Evan Mobley at the forefront of his thinking this offseason.
The Cavs view Mobley as a young defensive star who can become an all-around dominant force in the NBA as the 23-year-old forward evolves on the offensive end of the court.
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Mobley ended last season showing flashes along those lines, scoring 33 points on 62.5% shooting from the floor, grabbing seven rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking two shots and recording a steal in 43 minutes of Game 5 against the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) poses for a photo during media day Monday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Although the Cavs lost the series 4-1, Mobley is confident he gained something.
"I feel like I did good stepping into my own, and I'm just going to try to carry that momentum into this year," Mobley said Monday during Cavs Media Day at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 14 in Cleveland.
Coaching Victor Wembanyama in Paris Olympics gave Cavaliers boss Kenny Atkinson ideas about Evan Mobley
Atkinson pondered how to guide Mobley's progression as he coached Team France — and, specifically, the San Antonio Spurs ' reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama — in the Paris Olympics.
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Atkinson's exploration continued later in the summer while he and other members of the revamped Cavs coaching staff visited Mobley in Los Angeles.
"We were trying to figure it out with Victor," Atkinson said Friday during Cavs Media Day availability at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence. "These guys can do so many things. They're so talented and similar because they're so talented defensively, so you've got that piece. And how do they fit with this kind of new game?
"I was definitely thinking, 'How do I help Team France?' But, also, 'How does this maybe translate to the Cavs?' So Evan, Wemby , they're obviously different players, but there are some similarities."
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dunks against the New York Knicks in Game 2 of an NBA playoffs April 18, 2023, in Cleveland.
Listed as 7 feet and 215 pounds, Mobley explained he focused this offseason on "staying in attack mode" on offense, gaining weight, increasing strength and improving his shot. Adjusting his mindset to shoot with confidence from long range has been another priority.
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The third overall draft pick in 2021, Mobley stated his goals include earning a first career All-Star selection and becoming an NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate again after knee and ankle injuries robbed him of enough games to qualify for such awards last season. He finished the 2022-23 season third in DPOY voting.
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Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) drives to the basket against Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series April 22 in Cleveland.
New Cleveland Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson has ideas for Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley on offense
So what should everyone expect from Mobley on offense as the Atkinson era begins in Cleveland?
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"A lot more usage this year, a lot more playmaking with the ball in my hand and me trailing into the top of the key and flowing into offense," Mobley said.
In 50 games during the 2023-24 regular season, Mobley averaged 15.7 points on 58% shooting from the field (37.3% on 3-pointers), 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 blocked shots. In 12 playoff games, he averaged 16 points on 55.5% shooting from the floor (27.8% on 3s), 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 blocks.
Atkinson explained he wants Mobley rebounding and pushing the ball in transition, handling the ball more in the trail position in the half court, hitting the offensive boards with greater frequency and continuing to grow as a 3-point shooter.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley looks on during Media Day on Monday in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers' plan to run it back is strongly tied to the evolution they expect from Evan Mobley
From a roster standpoint, the Cavs are running it back from last season. President of basketball operations Koby Altman and other franchise bigwigs are betting Atkinson provides a coaching upgrade and can lead the team deeper into the playoffs than his predecessor, J.B. Bickerstaff. They also envision internal improvement as a key element of the equation.
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When Atkinson broached the subject of internal improvement, Mobley is the first player he mentioned.
"It starts with, obviously, Evan," Atkinson said. "Just with his age, 23 years old, he's just going to get better. Forget about the coaching. Forget about the system. Just being that young, there's going to be a natural improvement.
"He's obviously super talented. Koby keeps saying it's very rare for a young guy to come into the league and all of a sudden affect winning. It's just very rare. So we've got that piece. We've got the defensive piece. Obviously, the offensive improvement is important, so I think structurally we can do some things, and hopefully you'll see that pretty soon what we're going to do with him. But we also want to continue to have him be the great defender that he is."
Mobley said he has gained weight but declined to disclose how much. He said he concentrated in the offseason on "imposing my will in the paint" and said he feels his strides have been evident during summer workouts with teammates.
Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers speaks to the media during Cleveland Cavaliers Media Day at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on September 30, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley reflects on his contract extension with the Cavs
But fair warning: Atkinson is going to experiment with Mobley during the regular season, so there may be some unusual tweaks to his game.
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"Initially, I may not be the best at things," Mobley said. "But [the coaching staff will be] throwing me out there to try new things and get better with time as I get put in different situations on the floor, and just me being in different situations will definitely have a different aspect to the game."
The Cavs are willing to go to great lengths to help Mobley maximize his potential. They reinvested in him in July with a five-year, $224 million maximum rookie contract extension.
"Knowing that this organization is backing me and really believes in me, that feeling was just amazing," he said.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs' Evan Mobley improving a priority for Kenny Atkinson
