Evan Mobley was the runner up for the Rookie of the Year Award last season and he is well on his way to being one of the elite players in the NBA. He’s drawn some heavy praise from his teammates, and he added to his career highlights on Wednesday with a vicious dunk over Giannis Antetokounmpo.
EVAN MOBLEY ON GIANNIS 💥 pic.twitter.com/HzmJKobqav
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 17, 2022
That dunk predictably set NBA Twitter ablaze with some fans going as far as to say that Evan Mobley’s career will surpass Giannis Antetokounmpo in due time.
Semi-Irrational Exuberance Alert: Evan Mobley is going to as good as Giannis in a couple years
— rev recluse (@revRecluse) November 17, 2022
That Evan Mobley dunk and tie up of Giannis on back-to-back possessions sure was something.
— Danny Cunningham (@RealDCunningham) November 17, 2022
Damn Giannis you got bodied 👍🏿👍🏿
— Thomas Conyers (@ThomasConyers5) November 17, 2022
When Evan Mobley gets the ball in his hands good things happen. He needs to get 10+ shots every night and be a focal point of this offense.
— Miller (@Miller18289) November 17, 2022
I give Evan 3 years and he’ll be better than Giannis https://t.co/felvzVSDUG
— Ri Ri (@Gkrioo) November 17, 2022
RIP Giannis
— Jeffery Williams (@PrescottWak) November 17, 2022
EVAN MOBLEY FOREVER FRAMED POSTER ON GIANNIS pic.twitter.com/4xufF0BAeu
— Beyond the RK (@beyondtheRK) November 17, 2022
Initially drafted by the Cavs with the third overall pick in the 2021 draft, Mobley had one of the best rookie seasons last year. He put up 15 points per game, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocked shots while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and starting in all 69 games he played. This season, he is putting up 14.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.4 blocked shots while shooting 55.3 percent from the field.
Mobley is a capable scorer for the Cavs and one of their top defensive players. He was a standout at the University of Southern California for a season before declaring for the draft and ever since his high school days he’s been known for his versatile play.
Mobley has been a key reason why the Cavs have surprised many this season and have been one of the best teams in the NBA. After a hot start that included an eight game win streak, the Cavs have hit a tough stretch. They have lost four consecutive games but still sit at 8-5 and in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.