Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff had high praise for Cleveland forward Isaiah Mobley following an 18-point performance in Thursday’s win over the Orlando Magic.
“He is a very good rotational piece on a team,” Bickerstaff said in a postgame press conference. “He’s even better with better players. He just has a knack for the game, an understanding for the game. He’s continued to work on his shooting, he’s improved in that area. But, similar to Evan (Mobley), they have elite IQs and have a high understanding of the game.
“Credit to their pops for teaching the game the right way. They understand it. They get it.”
Isaiah Mobley, a two-way forward who split time with the Cavs and the Cleveland Charge, earned just less than 29 minutes in the Amway Center on Thursday. Along with his 18 points, he tacked on four rebounds, three steals and two blocks, applying just enough pressure to force a miss from Magic guard Jay Scrubb in the first quarter before rejecting a dunk attempt from forward Admiral Schofield in the fourth.
Mobley won the Junkyard Dog chain following the triumphant victory that saw the Cavs’ bench squad take flight on their opponent’s territory. Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell claimed the chain on Tuesday after earning his fourth 40-point Cavs game in a row in a 117-113 win over the Magic.
The 6-foot-10-inch forward averaged 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 22 games played for the Charge during the 2022-23 season. Mobley earned a spot in the G League’s All-Showcase team in December after dominating the NBA G League Winter Showcase, where he put up 27 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game in two games.
He joined Memphis Hustle forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., Oklahoma City Blue guard Tre Mann, Fort Wayne Mad Ants guard Terry Taylor and the Showcase Cup tournament MVP in Ontario Clippers guard Brandon Boston Jr. on the All-Showcase team.