Evan Mobley’s path to Defensive Player of the Year
Cavs news and links for Thursday, September 12th.
Evan Mobley is expected to be a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate. But what does a path to the award actually look like for the Cleveland Cavaliers star?
The first sip
Let’s start by checking off what Mobley does well on defense.
Protect the rim? Got it. As a matter of fact, not only can Mobley vertically contest shots without fouling — but he’s one of the best help defenders in the association. His length and athleticism are a deadly combination when recovering to block shots. If you don’t believe me, just ask Franz Wanger.
How about switching to the perimeter? This is a weakness for most shot blockers. And, well, Mobley is a seven-footer after all. But this is no vulnerability for Mobley. Last season, he placed in the 84th percentile when defending in isolation, holding opponents to 0.75 points per possession.
A player of this caliber and defensive versatility should collect numerous DPOY awards. But, centers such as Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Rudy Gobert, Jaren Jackson Jr. Bam Adebayo and others can more or less match Mobley’s prowess. The game has evolved — being a defensive unicorn is not so rare anymore.
Still, Mobley is firmly in the race. He currently has the fourth-highest odds of winning the award next season according to Draft Kings. What would it take for Mobley to lap his competition and claim the award for himself?
Availability could be the key. The margin for error between the best-of-the-best defenders is thin. There’s only so much room for Mobley to truly separate himself from the likes of Gobert and Wembanyama in terms of skill. However, ensuring that Mobley plays more games than anyone else — while anchoring the best defensive team in the league — is the best way to get in front.
Mobley missed just 16 games in his first two seasons. Last year, he missed 32. No player can control their injuries but in such a highly competitive league, availability might decide who wins Defensive Player of the Year next season.
The second sip
The Cleveland Charge have completed a trade for guard Jules Bernard in a three-team deal. Bernard went undrafted before signing a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards last season. He averaged 3.9 points and shot nearly 40% from deep in his 19 games played.
TRADE: We've sent the returning player rights to G Justin Powell and G Dexter Dennis to Stockton in exchange for the rights to G Jules Bernard from Capital City in a three-team deal#ChargeUp
— Cleveland Charge (@ChargeCLE) September 11, 2024
This move likely won’t affect the Cavs. They have already filled all three two-way slots with Emoni Bates, Luke Travers and JT Thor. But adding a 6’7” shooting guard to the Charge will benefit the development of those two-way guys if it makes the team more competitive.
Last season, the Charge finished 10th in the Eastern Conference. Hopefully, Bernard can help put them in a better position to win.
Random Cavalier of the Day - Andrew Bogut
Yep, we remember this one.
Andrew Bogut probably wasn’t going to save the day in 2017. The former All-NBA center and defensive anchor was well past his prime by the time he signed a mid-season contract with the Cavs. Yet, fans hoped he could provide some additional rim protection for a team that finished 21st in Defensive Rating that season.
Maybe Bogut could have helped. Unfortunately, a one-minute sample size is hard to judge. Just 58 seconds into his Cavalier career, Bogut fractured his leg and would never play another game for the franchise.
Bogut retired from basketball in 2020 and now hosts a podcast.
WNBA games on today
- New York Liberty at Dallas Wings - 8 PM