Once Evan Mobley put together an All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the standard was set. Teammates, coaches, fans and the media were talking about the seven-foot-tall player all summer long and tossing his name into MVP conversations without hesitation. So, in turn, any lack of meeting those expectations is considered a failure by some, and perhaps, based on how steadfast the praise was at last year's All-Star Game and Mobley's own words, that's justified.
Now that Darius Garland is in Los Angeles, it appears the microscope has zoomed in a lot on the 24-year-old forward. People crank that dial when the Cavs lose, and especially on national television.
Although he had a catch-and-drive dunk and a jump hook, Mobley missed a few threes in the final 3:20 of the game when his team was still within striking distance. And despite holding Chet Holmgren to an average scoring game, OKC's power forward grabbed 15 rebounds compared to Cleveland's two. They weren't face-to-face every minute of the game, but that's a worrying discrepancy.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had all 13 offensive rebounds from Sunday.
Where do you think the fault lies? pic.twitter.com/eXb19FU7GD
-RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) 23 February 2026
Mobley deserves criticism for that part of the contest. Even if he's out of position on most Cavs possessions due to the switch-heavy scheme defensively, recording two total rebounds at that size is absolutely unacceptable. Track the ball and catch it. When you have it in your hand, be strong with it, hold it high, and don't let the opponent take it away from you.
Should he really be to blame for most of the Thunder's extra chances? No, there were three examples, maybe fourWhere Mobley could have done a better job on the defensive glass was unrelated to the back-iron misses that found OKC's perimeter players away from the paint.
- At 7:26 of the second quarter, he hung up on Jaylin Williams to make sure he didn't miss a three; However, when Jared McCann's floater went haywire, he waited too long to mingle with his teammates, who should have done so themselves due to the 3-on-2 advantage.
- Similarly, at 9:19 of the fourth, Mobley did not want to let a red-hot Cason Wallace get a free look in the left corner, so he tried to set up a contest time on Holmgren through the middle while driving; This forced a miss that rolled off the rim, but neither he nor Donovan Mitchell came up with it.
- Although with a strong position, Mobley was outclassed by Hartenstein at the 2:30 mark of the final frame, allowing Lou Dort to push him back to the top of the floor.
Evan Mobley's frequently changing Cavs responsibilities
Let's step away from the rebounding thing for just a minute and turn to Mobley's extensive offensive game. The Cavs put the ball in his hands early in a point-forward type role in the first few weeks of the year. It was experimental because that's what you do in the regular season. He was bringing it up and getting started, and when he didn't have it, he was pulling up the floor. It was more dribble drives, separation, self-composition and kicking out than off-ball work.
Then, as the campaign progressed, Cleveland wanted to put Mobley in a better position to succeed with less management, as in 2024–25. That meant using him as a mid-floor hub, putting him in screens-and-slips, and getting him close to the bucket. Mobley burst onto the scene in early December and recorded four consecutive double-double performances before going down with a left calf injury. He was sidelined for five short games, then returned at Christmas.
After finding his footing again, Mobley enjoyed a solid month of January, including his best game of the season. He scored 29 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks in 35 minutes against the Sacramento Kings. He did not turn it over even once and walked out of the field after scoring 13 runs out of 24. Unfortunately, after another solid performance in Game 2 of the home-and-home series with the Orlando Magic, Mobley experienced more pain in the same calf. He missed the entire season through January 28 during the NBA All-Star break.
Returning to a very different team, James Harden is now their point guard, which changes the calculus for what Mobley needs to do. At best, on this team, he is the third scoring option. It was different a few months ago, so there needs to be an adjustment on his (and Harden's) part.
Jarrett Allen is already the quintessential pick-and-roll partner for Harden, so where does that leave Mobley? Well, for one, Cleveland needs to get him into the dunker spot right this very moment. He should have plenty of opportunities to capitalize on the seriousness he possesses as both a ball-handler and roller. In particular, alley-oops from Harden or Allen should be common.
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson noted that Mobley's popping could also be used as a weapon. They sure as heck aren't shooting the three well right now, which may be due to a lack of lift from the shin, but he's still a confidently capable mid-range shooter. If opportunities arise, he will have to take them. Atkinson also sees opportunities to quickly find mismatches at small forwards and guards in double-big lineups. When that happens, Harden can be counted on to feed him.
We'll also see Mobley without Harden and Allen on the floor with Mitchell. The staggering choice allows for optionality in terms of style of play. Both of them had a lot of success last year and a good chemistry has been established between them, which will give both of them a chance to be as successful as ever. Adding Schroder to that mix also helps as his downhill nature forces defenses to stop the ball.
painting the whole picture
Many people are casually leaving out Mobley's defensive skills when evaluating his game. Being a top-tier tackler who shuts down driving lanes, runs to the corners to compete, and replaces all shots in a single possession doesn't make a highlight reel unless you're a coach. It's a tough business to be in, as in that department, Mobley is one of them. Find another player his size who covers as much ground, switches seamlessly, and recovers just like him.
Sadly, making lots of money also comes with noise. Mobley has had a poor offensive season, and it shows in his season-long production numbers. Does this mean that he has performed well as a basketball player? no way. He will turn 25 in mid-June. Given Cleveland's push and pull with his offensive responsibilities, a troublesome calf that kept him out twice, and readjusting to life with a new floor general, it's understandable that Mobley doesn't have everything figured out at this point.
However, the Cavs have exaggerated the timeline. He was originally crowned after an undefeated extension of the trade-deadline. Garland, his old core four two-man-game partner, has moved to the West Coast. The Giants are in the building now, hardening the locker room significantly so the team can really prepare for the playoffs.
Expectations are sky-high for this fresh-wine-and-gold group, so anything less than greatness will receive a scathing response, whether that's warranted long-term or a momentary reaction in the heat of battle. That means Mobley will have to quickly adapt to what is being asked of him and take on a role that has once again changed.
Whether that's fair or not, that's just the reality of the situation.
