As of Sunday afternoon, Evan Mobley had played only a handful of roles as the Cleveland Cavaliers' lone big man and James Harden was running the show. But since Jarrett Allen has been out the last two games due to knee tendinitis, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson has taken a closer look at the Harden-Mobley tandem, and he's intrigued by the prospects.
"I want them to come together and work on it more," Atkinson said after Cleveland's 115-101 win over the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers. "I think it could be a really lethal combination. Obviously, with JA, it's a little different because JA is kind of a lob guy. Evan is a little more controlled in the role.
"I've talked to James about it, just to get the two of them together and talk to Evan — how he wants the screening angle, when he wants her to slip, when he wants her to hold him down. With Evan, you can even mingle in pops. But as those guys get a better relationship, go to the gym together a little bit more, I'm excited about it."
As Atkinson noted, there are plenty of differences between each of the Cavs' big men in the 5. Allen is one of the best screeners in the NBA, in addition to being one of the fastest rollers in the game. That's why he and Harden have instantly formed a good rapport.
Mobley usually has to play him when both he and Allen are in the game. He's more in the dunker spot, or he's cutting from the corners. There's still another layer to big-time passing in those situations, out of the pocket catches, or engaging in the high-low action that made the "Tower City" duo so dangerous when they first started playing together in a pick-and-roll heavy offense. But what happens when Alan isn't there?
“The difference is just distinct,” Atkinson said. "Donovan [Mitchell]Already have rapport and have played one-on-one with Ivan, so with James, it will be something new.
"But who knows? Game 3, first round of the playoffs, you might have to go with a big. You might have to go with Evan as your only 5. It's great that we're getting reps in there. I hate to have JA out, but the positive is that James and Evan can get some synergy with that single-big lineup."
Operating without his frontcourt partner, in the little time he spent with Harden, Mobley had to adapt to his traditional pick-and-roll game to fill the void. Atkinson shared that the two talked about it during Monday's game.
"He's got to be even better," Atkinson said of Mobley. "Teams surround him when he gets into the paint, and he has to be able to read those things fast. But I like when he gathers himself, makes two plays. [feet]. But you still have to read: are they coming, are they staying at home? I'm glad he and James are getting reps in this; Ivan is not used to rolling all the time. I think James can help them perform better. I think Ivan is good, but he can be much better."
“I have to dominate the paint,” Mobley said during practice last week. "Jarrett plays a big role in it and helps me with it. And if he's in or he's out, I have to be that guy to keep the paint down, and set good screens offensively, to make it easier for James to get into that role and be aggressive offensively as well."
When asked what it took to get used to the new point guard, Mobley pointed to instincts such as when, where and how to set those picks. It helps that he's been watching Harden "for most of his life," so nothing surprises him. However, it's one thing to watch it on television and another to react to it on the floor.
“He's very confident,” Mobley said. "Not really fast, plays at his own pace. So if there's a blitz, he's big, he's strong, so he can throw it over the top. He throws good passes behind the bigs. He's not afraid to take risks. There are a lot of advantages with the way he controls the game."
So far, the Harden-Mobley combination has played 140 possessions without Allen, according to Cleaning the Glass. It's not a huge sample size, and it's been a mixed bag of competition, but early returns say Cleveland can get to the free-throw line at will and take care of the basketball with the best of them. The problem is a poor offensive rebounding percentage and an effective field goal percentage of 47.7% which ranks second in the NBA.
Is the eFG% figure distorted by a very poor second quarter performance against the Boston Celtics? Definitely. Despite the missed shots, the offense has not been at its best since losing Allen. Also, defensively, the Cavs are allowing a 33.0 opponent free-throw rate, which is as bad as any, along with a 55.7% eFG%.
Cleveland's most-used non-Allen quartet has shared 40 possessions with Mobley under center: Harden, Mitchell, Sam Merrill and Dean Wade. This has easily been the most effective; Plus, this is the lineup that beat a shorthanded, undersized Philadelphia 76ers group a day after the C's took it to the cleaners.
It is not an easy assessment due to the polar ends of the competition on back-to-back days. This does not mean that no lessons have been learned from these last two matches.
Cavs' James Harden, Evan Mobley want to create advantages for each other
Harden already has priorities in mind to strengthen their on-court bond.
"I'm trying to figure out, 'How can I be aggressive and make the team better?' Because that's a plus, but also putting him in a better position,” Harden said. “Depending on who is guarding us, like if it's his big safety and they're in like a drop coverage, try to get down and hit him in the pocket.
"Or if they're switching and they have two guys of similar size, or I think they have a mismatch, he's got to get the ball into a better position closer to the rim where he can make a move or two and he's at the rim. It's literally going to be possession by possession. The more opportunities we can get on the court, the better we'll be."
Conversely, Mobley also believes it is on him to put Harden in spots where he can succeed.
“That pick-and-roll, just hitting my screen hard,” Mobley said. "They're going to put the best guard on him, [so] Making sure we keep him away from James, get him into space, and maybe get the switch. And then roll hard, make yourself a threat so it will be easier for him to land.”
While taking nothing away from his versatility, Mobley is not in the same company as Allen when it comes to screening defenders. He is more successful as a ghoster or brusher than attacking an opponent and stopping him in his tracks. He's also more of a baseline lob threat than he is over the top on a straight line.
Cleveland should utilize Mobley's strength off the dribble handoffs with Harden, as it does with Merrill on the break. This could generate some momentum to turn the corner on either side of the half court, allowing the veteran star to go down with less need to break down his opponent. As Harden mentioned, this could potentially create a mismatched relationship for both of them to exploit.
Lately, Harden has also had a penchant for playing out of the post with his back to the basket; Maybe Mobley could do some cutting like movement wing when he's drawing defenders on the block? The seven-footer may elect to spot up for a triple, then attack off the dribble after a pump fake.
Or maybe they continued linking up on the 70-foot alley-oop, because that last one seemed too easy.
Whatever route the Cavs choose to go, these are invaluable reps for Harden and Mobley as the season begins to wind down.
