#1 Evan Mobley – Forward/Center – USC
If the Houston Rockets take Jalen Green 2nd overall, then selecting Evan Mobley 3rd overall should be a no-brainer move for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mobley is the best big man in the 2021 NBA Draft class and for good reason.
The 7-foot center dominated every team he played while at USC and helped lead the Trojans to their first Elite-8 appearance since 2001. Not only is his length and frame exactly what teams look for in a big man prospect, but Evan Mobley has an insanely high basketball IQ and is extremely elusive for a center.
He is fast, he is agile and he is extremely crafty with the ball in his hands, making him virtually impossible to stop offensively, especially in the low-post. He has excellent footwork and touch around the rim and Mobley is an elite-level rebounder.
Evan Mobley is not a “big bruiser” center like Andre Drummond or Dwight Howard, but there are some similarities between Mobley’s game and that of both Julius Randle and a young LaMarcus Aldridge. It is tough to find a true, spot-on comparison for Mobley because his size, mobility and skill for a big man is something we have not really seen before in the NBA.
His 7’4” wingspan allows him to contest virtually any shot and while he is not a bulky center, he plays physical defense and is always aggressive going up for rebounds on either end of the court. There really are no weaknesses to Evan Mobley’s game, which is why he is one of the most intriguing prospects entering the NBA.
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While they do want to keep Jarrett Allen and re-sign him in free agency, passing up on Evan Mobley would be foolish for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He comes at a much cheaper price than Allen and is a versatile big man that they could actually build around for years to come. Even if they brought back Allen, these two could probably still play with one-another as a “one-two punch” in the Cavs’ frontcourt.
The worst thing that happens in terms of drafting Evan Mobley is that Cleveland would trade him, but even then, they are still gaining a ton of value, so drafting Mobley is a win-win situation for the Cavaliers.
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If Cade Cunningham was not in this draft class we would be talking about Evan mobley possibly being the first pick in the entire draft! If he somehow falls to #3 in the draft, the Cavaliers’ phones will be ringing like crazy with other teams trying to trade up for him, but if they were smart, Cleveland would use this pick to take Mobley themselves.
He is the best pure frontcourt talent in this draft class and he checks off all the boxes in terms of potentially being an All-Star big man in this league. The Cavaliers need a difference maker on their team and they would be getting one in Evan Mobley.
