Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley has made his presence felt in the NBA already, helping lead the Cavs to a surprising 20-15 record and staking his claim as the Rookie of the Year frontrunner. On Thursday night in the nation’s capital, Mobley showed just one reason why he’s so special.
Just take a look at this absolutely filthy up-and-under move from the Cavs youngster. It was so good that Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma had to dap him up:
After the game, a 110-93 Wizards win, Kuzma took to Twitter to explain why he dapped Mobley:
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Kuzma is right. This was a ridiculous move worthy of appreciation, even as an opponent. It’s extremely impressive for a player of Mobley’s size to be able to pull that off in a game against a solid rim protector in Daniel Gafford.
The Cavs rookie has been making impressive plays all season. He has helped anchor one of the best defenses in the NBA, turning around Cleveland on that end in a big way thanks to his rim protection (1.8 blocks per game) and versatility. And as seen in this highlight, he’s a skilled offensive player as well, averaging 14.3 points while shooting 48.6% from the field while handing out 2.4 assists per game.
Mobley’s terrific play has helped transform the Cavs from one of the worst teams in the NBA to an Eastern Conference upstart. While season-ending injuries to Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio are unfortunate setbacks, Cleveland still has an awesome young core with Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen leading the way.