The Cavaliers are finally setting Evan Mobley up to play like the offensive centerpiece they’ve long believed he can be. The bigger question is whether he’ll seize it.
Cleveland has spent years living with the contradiction that is Mobley: elite on one end, maddeningly uneven on the other. His defense has already brought All-Defensive Team honors and a Defensive Player of the Year award, but his offensive production has remained the main point of frustration for both critics and fans.
Now entering his sixth season, Mobley is no longer being treated like a promising piece. He’s a cornerstone. The Cavaliers even passed on trade possibilities involving Giannis Antetekounmpo and Jaylen Brown because they believe Mobley can be a central figure in a championship chase for Ohio’s basketball team.
That kind of commitment puts pressure on Cleveland to keep expanding his role. It also puts the spotlight squarely on Mobley to match the organization’s confidence with real offensive force. He did make progress as a three-point shooter last season, but his overall impact on that end still didn’t match the expectations attached to him.
Coach Kenny Atkinson recently hinted at the blueprint the Cavs want to use. Speaking with Cavs reporter Tony Pesta, Atkinson pointed to a Hall of Fame comparison that has followed Mobley before.
"One of our assistants talked about how Kevin Garnett got his offense. He could get to a spot and just run, raise up and shoot over guys. I like that prototype…"
Atkinson didn’t lay out the full design for Mobley’s offensive usage, but the Garnett comparison makes sense. Kevin Garnett built a brutally efficient game around touch, strength, mobility and a polished mid-range package that turned him into a three-level problem. He wasn’t spacing the floor with threes, but he made defenses pay from everywhere else.
That said, the comparison isn’t just about skill. Garnett’s edge was part of the package, too.
He dragged the Timberwolves to the playoffs practically by himself before reaching Boston, and he had the kind of forceful presence that could seize a game. That’s the area where Mobley still has work to do.
Mobley’s talent is obvious. His footwork for a player his size is special, and his ability to score and pass has helped raise Cleveland’s ceiling since his rookie year.
But too often, that ability comes in flashes instead of a steady stream. He can disappear in the offense, especially late in games, even after strong first halves.
His usage also tends to taper off as games wear on.
If Cleveland wants the Mobley-Garnett idea to become more than a nice comparison, the forward has to bring more of that same fire. Garnett’s name has been attached to Mobley for a while, and even Garnett himself praised him in 2024. Still, he also said on his All the Smoke podcast that Mobley needed to move past his "nice guy" behavior.
KG says it’s time for Nice Guy Evan Mobley to get mean 😤
The Big Ticket details what adjustments the young star needs to make before the Cleveland Cavaliers level up in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.⁰⁰Catch the latest Ticket & Truth: https://t.co/CuMYJuyWpi pic.twitter.com/ExdDrjmds2
- ALL THE SMOKE (@allthesmokeprod) October 2, 2024
That’s where the next step lives for Mobley: more touches from Atkinson across all four quarters, and a little less hesitation from the player himself. He needs to demand the ball, take over possessions, and stop fading toward the wing or the corner when the offense starts to settle. His passing matters, and his selflessness has value, but if it goes too far, it cuts into the team’s ceiling.
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