F Isaiah Mobley – USC
A lot of the talk about the 2021 NBA Draft class has been about Evan Mobley, the top big man in the class and one of the top prospects overall in the draft, but one of the most underrated guys in this draft class is his brother, Isaiah Mobley.
While he could potentially return to college since he has not given up his eligibility on his collegiate playing career yet, Mobley has definitely heard nothing but good things after his performance at last week’s combine! Measuring in at 6’9.75” with shoes with a 7’3” wingspan and an 8’11.5” standing reach, Isaiah Mobley definitely caught the attention of some personnel early on at the combine.
Not many people knew about Isaiah given that he had been in his brother’s shadow at USC and a to nof scouts were interested in seeing how he performed during the scrimmage part of the combine. Well, nothing but good things can be said about how he performed in the scrimmages as he held his own for his team every second he was on the court.
In two scrimmages, Mobley scored 26 points on 10-18 shooting, 4-9 shooting from deep, grabbed 8 rebounds and also had 7 steals on the defensive-end of the court. Stretch big men that can sit out on the perimeter and knock down shots are huge in today’s NBA, as are big guys who can make a difference defensively than just sitting in the paint.
In these scrimmages, Isaiah Mobley not only showed the ability to score against a variety of defenders, knocking down shots from inside the paint and on the perimeter, but he also showed the ability to guard numerous positions, which was a big advantage for him compared to other prospects.
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Many frontcourt prospects often freeze up when guarding smaller guys and they oftentimes try to overcompensate for their lack of athleticism, but this is not the case for Mobley. He moves extremely well for a guy standing close to 6’10” and given his length, he is able to disrupt passing lanes no matter where he is on the court.
His shooting definitely drew the attention of scouts, but his playmaking on the defensive-end of the court is something that is viewed very highly. Evan Mobley may be the more talked about brother, but Isaiah Mobley is a great prospect in his own right.
Nothing but good things have been said about his performance at the combine and as of right now, Isaiah Mobley has played his way into first-round consideration. He may not be a lottery pick or top draft pick like his brother Evan, but Isaiah Mobley has the potential to be a great frontcourt player in the NBA given his versatility on both ends of the court.
