Evan Mobley is still scratching the surface even after being named an All-Star

“I feel like it’s just the beginning.”

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley made it clear what his goals were for the season back at Media Day at the end of last September.

“All-Star, [I’ll] start there,” Mobley said this past fall. “And definitely get back in the Defensive Payer [of the Year] conversation. Those are two big things I’m definitely looking forward to really lock in on and take to hear.”

Four months later he’s made one of those things a reality and deservedly so. He’s the anchor defensively and a consistent scoring option on the team with the most wins in the NBA.

“It was definitely exciting and honestly, like a little surreal,” Mobley said after putting up 18 points in Cleveland’s runaway victory over the Atlanta Hawks the night he was named an All-Star.

“The more I think about it, I just want more and more, you know? That’s my whole mantra is just keep trying to get better every day. And this is just one step and I’m just gonna try to keep going for more.”

We’ve seen where the pursuit of more has gotten Mobley this season. He’s far and away a better offensive player now than before. His confidence and skill as an outside shooter, ball handler, and distributor continue to take steps forward.

So much so that Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson compared Mobley to Magic Johnson after his coast-to-coast take on Thursday.

“He shows flashes like that, like man, he’s just scratching the surface,” Atkinson said. “I’m excited for what the future is going to bring for him because when he makes plays like that you’re like holy... He’s got a lot more in there.”

The flashes are tantalizing, but there are still improvements to be made.

“He tries to go iso on Larry Nance, and can’t get by him because he still has to improve his strength,” Atkinson said. “He’s still got to improve his patience in iso situations.”

You can add continuing to tighten his handle and building on the improvements to the outside shot onto the list of areas he can further grow in. But even at that, he’s still an All-Star-level player.

The question is how much better can Mobley become?

I’m not sure what the answer is, but I keep coming back to a conversation I had with his brother Isaiah Mobley at the end of the 2023 season whenever I think about Evan’s potential. I asked him whether or not he and his younger brother believed there was a limit to how far they could go with their games in the wake of an excellent profile of Evan by Michael Pina in The Ringer.

“That’s something me and Evan talk about a lot,” Isaiah said at the time. “I’m kind of similar to him, I don’t think there’s a ceiling. I think there’s delusion, but I think pushing right up to the point of ignorant delusion is good in a sense because it’s like there’s no cap.”

Evan’s growth year over year hint at the idea that there isn’t a limit to his game.

Each season Mobley’s floor and what we thought could be the ceiling have raised slightly. The flashes of what his game looks like when everything is clicking has become even more impressive.

His best—when we do see it—is as good as anyone in the league.

Mobley’s 41 points against the Charlotte Hornets in December is a great example of that. He was hitting his outside shots with an ease that seemed unguardable while still punishing the paint.

His teammates seemed stunned by Mobley’s performance in the aftermath.

“He didn’t hit the rim on the threes,” said Caris LeVert afterward. “They were all swishes like the first four or five. I was looking at Ty like, ‘Bruh, he ain’t hit the rim yet.’ He just kept going. It was definitely a sight to see.”

Mobley followed that up the next month with an impressive showing, albeit in a different way, against the Oklahoma City Thunder. There, he continually punished mismatches while creating excellent looks for his teammates against the best defense in basketball.

Again, this was just a glimpse of the player he could be.

Mobley’s baseline improvement is what has allowed him to be an All-Star. Thursday’s contest against the Hawks showed this. He efficiently attacked the paint when he had an opening to do so, provided great defense, and flashed some skills as a secondary playmaker. Mobley also threw in some highlight plays for good measure, which isn’t too out of the ordinary.

Those types of performances have become routine for Mobley, but there’s nothing ordinary about that. There simply aren’t many seven-footers with his defensive ability, athleticism, and skill.

The scary thing is that he’s still putting it all together.

In the meantime, Mobley is an All-Star as he set out to do at the start of the season. The sky is the limit on what he accomplishes next.

“I think it still has a ways to go,” Mobley said about his progression this season. “And I’m gonna keep growing it more and more. And yeah, I feel like it’s just the beginning.”