#2 Evan Mobley – Forward/Center – USC
If he somehow falls to 4th overall, the Toronto Raptors should immediately draft Evan Mobley and not think twice about doing so! 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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With Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol gone, plus the Raptors desperately needing to add a center this offseason, drafting Evan Mobley would be the best-case scenario for Toronto on draft night. If he is on the board at 3rd overall for the Cavaliers, it is hard to imagine that he would not be drafted by them, either to keep or in a trade, but there is still a slim chance that something crazy could happen where Mobley falls into the Raptors’ lap at 4th overall.
With a frontcourt duo of Pascal Siakam and Evan Mobley, plus Chris Boucher coming off-the-bench, the Toronto Raptors would not only be a force again in the Eastern Conference, but they would have one of the strongest frontcourts in the NBA.
Toronto had a player once before in the frontcourt who dominated by the name of Chris Bosh and Evan Mobley could definitely be the next version of Bosh. There really is no discussion about who the Raptors should take if Mobley is available because he is arguably the best player in this year’s draft class and fits an immediate need for the Raptors. Masi Ujiri would have his pick in immediately should Evan Mobley somehow fall to the Toronto Raptors.
