When it comes to young big men in the league, Evan Mobley is one of the best. The Cavaliers big man is entering his third season with the team and has already made quite the impression on the league. That is why it is no surprise to see Evan Mobley make the Top of Zach Buckley’s Ranking NBA Bigs Under 25 with Highest Ceilings list.
Coming in at number four is Evan Mobley. Buckley notes that Cleveland’s offense is focused on Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell while noting Mobley still can play even better with additional spacing.
“His offensive projection is harder to calculate, since he fills an ancillary in a Cleveland offense built around attacking guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Many of Mobley’s scoring chances are being created for him, but even then, he has found chances to utilize his own playmaking. Get him more touches with better spacing around him, and his passing could really shine.“
A sticking point appears to be whether or not Evan Mobley will play a larger role in the offense or become a threat from outside.
“Will he ever be an offensive focal point, though? Or how about a reliable outside shooter? Those possibilities are on the table, but they are far from guaranteed. If he’s a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate who tallies 20 points, 10 boards and a handful of assists per night, the Cavs won’t be complaining, but that isn’t quite the superstar ceiling possessed by the top three players on this list.“
The top three players on the list Buckley mentioned here? Chet Holmgren, Zion Williamson, and Victor Wembanyama. Considering this is about the ceiling of players that is more than fine. With that being said, there are a few things to take into account here.
First off, Wembanyama is yet to play an actual NBA game. This also applies to Holmgren, as he missed his entire rookie season due to injury. Speaking of injuries, Zion Williamson. Zion has all the potential in the world, but he cannot stay healthy. It seems like these are a few things that should be taken into consideration when compiling a list such as this. Injuries and missed time should play a part in a player’s ceiling. Additionally, not playing a single NBA minute yet should also take a player down a spot or two.
This is not to say that Evan Mobley should be number one, even though it sounds like it. This is simply stating that the players ahead of him have some big-time “yes, buts” attached. These are the types of things that make placing certain players ahead of Evan Mobley somewhat questionable.
