Isaiah Mobley knows the three-point shot is key to making it with Cavs

Upping three-point volume requires more than just a willingness to take more threes.

Koby Altman took a seat courtside to watch the Cleveland Charge on Wednesday evening for the only home game he attended this season. Isaiah Mobley didn’t waste time showing the Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations what he’s been working on.

Mobley calmly drained a contested, in-rhythm corner three on the opening possession of the game which was a sign of things to come.

“I saw it as another opportunity just to get in-person eyes on some of the things I’ve developed,” Mobley said.

Mobley canned four of his eight triples on Wednesday including an iso, step-back three from the top of the arc. Last week he went 4-10 from three against the Memphis Hustle. He’s made a conscious effort to increase his three-point volume since getting run with the Cavs at the beginning of the month.

In his last extended NBA action, Mobley took four threes in 13 minutes against the Phoenix Suns.

“I’ve known it too in the other little stints I’ve had and just watching other guys in a similar position and stuff,” Mobley said. “Definitely playing up there and seeing those types of shots [helped].”

Saying you need to take more threes and actually doing it are two different things. Isaiah has always seemed more comfortable pulling from the perimeter than his brother, Evan, but putting yourself in a position where you naturally take more shots is an adjustment.

“In college, Isaiah was dominant inside,” Charge head coach Mike Gerrity said. “When you constantly think you have advantages to go get a basket in a drive or post up, it becomes ingrained into you. When you catch it you’re thinking ‘That’s just what I do.’ So now you’re kind of reprogramming yourself to be like, ‘Okay, in my next role I’m probably not gonna be able to go ahead and drive it.’”

“In the G League, I’ve always felt dominant at being able to get to the basket and finish at a high level,” Mobley said. “But you’re playing for something bigger instead of just putting my head down and getting in [the paint]. I’m working on stuff that’s going to translate for the Cavs and the leagues as a whole.”

Mobley is a skilled offensive player, but those skills won’t translate to the league easily unless the outside shot forces teams to close out and treat him like a shooter.

“The position where he’s been trusted into when he’s had his minutes with the Cavs was at the four,” Gerrity said. “In those situations, he’s going to be in space and he’s not going to be involved in as many pick-and-rolls as he is here. Anytime you’re able to stretch the floor at the next level for Darius [Garland], Donovan [Mitchell], and those guys to be able to have the space so that they can go out there and make plays. That’s what they need.”

Mobley’s season in the G League is going to be over by the end of the week. He likely won’t get another opportunity to show what he can do for the Cavs in a meaningful regular season game. That said, he’s hoping his performance on Wednesday left an impression on Altman and company that he can be the outside shooter the organization needs from a big. For him to take that next step in his career, he will need to continue to force himself to shoot it at the volume he has over the last week.

“It takes time,” Gerrity said about developing a shoot-first mentality. “We’re kind of reprogramming and re-switching what you’re used to doing. When you’re used to doing one thing, retraining your body and your mind to be able to be like, ‘Okay, no this is what I got to continue to improve’ [can be difficult].”