The most obvious takeaway from the Cleveland Cavaliers win over the Houston Rockets Sunday was also the biggest one: the Cavs are primed for playoff basketball for the first time in five years and the first time without LeBron James since 1998.
But there was a secondary narrative on full display, one that is just two years old. That’s because the Cavs-Rockets game featured a battle between the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft (Jalen Green) and the No. 3 selection (Evan Mobley).
Green led the way with 30 points, four assists, and one rebound, while Mobley put on a far more complete game, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in the Cavs’ 108-91 win.
After the game, Green praised his draftmate’s game, recalling recent grade-school matchups.
“Evan and I have been battling since high school,” Green said of Mobley, per Sports Illustrated. “He put on a show today. I put on a show today. We had a good little 2021 draft class battle.”
Stephen Silas, the Rockets’ head coach, also praised the Cavs for their strong defense, which Mobley is in no small part responsible for.
“They are just a really good, well-coached defensive team,” coach Stephen Silas said. “They protect the paint. They have length. Against a defensive team like this that is No. 1, you have to get out in transition and be intentional about what you are trying to get on the offensive end.”
While Mobley and Green showed out on Sunday, neither player has had quite the sophomore lead many hoped for heading into the season.
Evan Mobley Called Out Over Slow Cavs Season
While the season hasn’t been a failure by any stretch, it’s hard to say Mobley’s built on last season’s success. Prior to an injury that sidelined him down the stretch last season, the former USC Trojan was a lock to win Rookie of the Year.
His 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season were thought to forecast an exciting future. Even more impressive, his defense was already near the top of the league, as he combined with Jarrett Allen to provide a ferocious defensive frontcourt.
While the defense has only improved, Mobley’s offense has plateaued in his second season. Sure, he’s up to 16.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, but his three-point shooting (21.25) is still atrocious.
“We’ve been waiting on Evan Mobley to take that leap like in the conversation with elite bigs. High expectations. I’m talking about a guy that’s 18, 20 and 10. At least flirting around with DeAndre Ayton-type numbers,” Kendrick Perkins said on NBA Today.
The biggest risk is Mobley wasting two excellent seasons from Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, a piece Perkins noted.
“If he doesn’t take that next leap, and he doesn’t start to grow in areas that we expect him to grow in, then, to be honest, we’re going to be wasting time watching this dynamic backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland,” Perkins said. “He is the key. What was he, the second or third pick in the draft? And one could argue that he should have been the first pick?”
To his credit, Mobley’s played much better lately. Over his last 13 games, the big man is up to 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen Trade Revisited Against Rockets
A third storyline in the Rockets-Cavs matchup: the Jarrett Allen trade.
Back in 2021, the Cavaliers managed to squeeze their way into the first James Harden trade, landing a then-promising young center named Jarrett Allen in the process.
At the time, the Rockets had concerns about Allen’s fit amidst the team’s hope to remain competitive after Harden’s departure.
“But competing for the postseason was a factor in Houston’s negotiations to move Harden, league sources said,” Jake Fischer wrote for Bleacher Report after the trade. “The Rockets front office is considered to be lower on Caris LeVert than others, and Houston brass also did not feel Jarrett Allen would be a clean frontcourt match with Wood, sources said. A part of the Rockets’ calculus for landing Oladipo instead of LeVert and Allen was his purported greater impact on contending for the playoffs.”
Two years later, Allen has developed into an All-Star and the Rockets are heading back to the top of the lottery for the third-straight season. Another example of a move that the Cavaliers nailed in the lead-up to this season’s playoff berth, along with the Mobley selection.
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Jalen Green Issues Statement on Evan Mobley After Cavaliers Dismantle Rockets