By james art As the 2024-25 season approaches, there are championship-level expectations for Cleveland Cavaliers fans. The Cavs have a bona fide Big Three between Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley on paper. But, like the NBA’s other big three, sacrifices must be made and those star players must step up — especially on offense under new head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Garland and Mitchell need to learn from each other how to play without the ball. That means finding ways to influence the attack with their scoring and playmaking – with or without the ball. It works for several seasons. Cleveland’s star-studded backcourt, however, is poised to thrive under the new Atkinson. These changes will allow Mitchell to continue his heroics, while also pushing Garland to be more involved.
Mobley’s expectations, however, are different. By this year, Mobley is expected to serve as the Cavs’ defensive mainstay. But in attack, things turned around a bit. Cleveland needs Mobley to be more involved on offense this year. During the preseason, Atkinson mentioned using Mobley’s playmaker to run certain sets and creases on offense. However, the other part of Mobley’s offensive game that Atkinson calls upon is something everyone wants: his touch on the perimeter.
For his career, Mobley is a 26.5% three-point shooter and has just 1.3 attempts per game. However, during the preseason, Mobley tried to meet Atkinson’s demands on the perimeter. In three preseason contests, Mobley averaged 3.5 three-point attempts per game. Granted, he only connected on 27.5% of those attempts from the perimeter. However, the fact that he was taking and doing more than his career averages, especially in limited minutes, gives reason to be optimistic about Mobley’s upcoming season.
How Evan Mobley can lead the Cavs to Hall of Fame levels
If Mobley continues to show faith in his perimeter shot and begins to stretch opposing defenses, Cleveland will be difficult to contain on both ends of the floor. However, once Mobley starts burning opposing defenses at a reliable three-point clip, an unnamed NBA executive told ClutchPoints that he will be on a similar level to Hall of Famer Chris Bosh.
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“It’s always been, ‘Let’s wait and see what he can do.’ when we look into it,” the NBA executive said of Mobley. “He’s always had so much unlimited potential as a player, but it felt like he wasn’t getting it all together. If he can start to distance Cleveland and force opponents to move, he will be like Chris Bosh for them.
It would be incredible if Mobley reaches the level of Bosh, a top ten striker of all time. It would also allow the Cavs to play five-out lineups, making it impossible for them to defend if every player on the floor can hurt you from three-point range, something Bosh catalyzed during his time with the Miami Heat. In Miami, the concept was to have Bosh play center and surround him with perimeter-oriented wings and guards. Bosh understood that his role was to play blocking defense on one end while attacking opposing defenses at all three levels on the other.
While Bosh was the No. 1 option with the Toronto Raptors and toward the end of his NBA career with the Heat, he did what was asked of him because he knew his sacrifice was what the team needed. Looking ahead to the current situation in Cleveland, the Cavs may have to tell Mobley to make similar sacrifices. Mobley always had the potential to do it. With Atkinson now coaching the team, Mobley’s potential could become a reality. Like Bosh, Mobley could be a catalyst in Cleveland. That spark could eventually lead to something great, like an NBA championship.