Despite being snubbed from this season’s Defensive Player of the Year, Evan Mobley‘s stellar campaign was still celebrated with an ultimate honor on Tuesday. This was after the young Cleveland Cavaliers stud was named part of the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. This is a remarkable achievement from Mobley, no doubt, and one that has him joining San Antonio Spurs icon Tim Duncan on a prestigious two-man list.
As pointed out by 92.3 The Fan on Twitter, Mobley’s selection into the all-defensive team marks the first time a player was given this honor in either his first or second season in the NBA since Duncan achieved the same feat back in 1999. That’s nearly two and a half decades ago, which just goes to show how difficult it is to be named one of the Top 5 defenders in the league at such an early stage in your career.
The fact that Mobley has entered Tim Duncan territory is perhaps an equally impressive achievement from the 21-year-old Cavs stud. Duncan is seen by many as one of the greatest power forwards of all time, and while Evan Mobley still has quite a ways to get before he is even considered to be in the conversation, this is an undeniably noteworthy first step for the former No. 3 overall pick.
The Cavs have unearthed a real gem in Mobley, and the good news for Cleveland fans everywhere is that this young man is just getting started. Year 3 should be an even more impressive campaign for the former USC standout.