While searching for a new head coach this offseason, the Cavaliers sent out a request for all candidates to come prepared with an outline for Evan Mobley‘s future, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic. Now-head coach Kenny Atkinson came with a plan for Mobley to continue building his relationship with Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt and how he could space the floor even without being a traditional shooter, like Dryamond Green does in Golden State.
“[Atkinson]’s just empowering me, like, ‘You gotta go and attack. Look to score for us,’” Mobley said. “And he does that with everybody. If someone is open on the wing and they pass up a shot, shoot it. That’s his whole philosophy.”
The Cavaliers have big plans for Mobley, including turning him into more of an offensive hub. The team wants him to score more in transition and Cleveland believes he’ll be even more of a passing threat if teams think he’s planning to score at all times.
These plans are paying off for Mobley, who spent the offseason building bulk and muscle according to Katz. He’s bringing up the ball at a career rate and his 18.3 points per game would be a career high if it holds through the season.
“[Mobley] more so has a more a ‘f— you’ attitude this year,” Thompson said. “I think this summer was good for him developing. Like, he knows he’s that guy. I think sometimes you gotta have that arrogant confidence in yourself. Before, he was kinda playing timid. … But now it’s more like, he knows he’s a f—— problem.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Mobley isn’t the only Cavalier seeing success, as the team as a whole is out to a 6-0 start. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst write (Insider link), the Mobley and Donovan Mitchell connection is the most used two-man grouping on the team, a change from last season that’s paying off for the team. According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the team’s +102 net rating through six games is the best in franchise history. In a separate piece, Fedor writes that depth is helping drive the hot start, with the likes of Ty Jerome standing out at the back end of the rotation.
- In the same ESPN+ story, Bontemps and Windhorst explore Pacers‘ star Tyrese Haliburton‘s slow start to the season and where the Bucks can go from here after a disappointing 1-4 start.
- Ayo Dosunmu‘s role with the Bulls has fluctuated between being a full-time starter and filling more of a sixth man role. Through six games this season, Dosunmu hasn’t yet made a start. However, according to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Joe Cowley, Dosunmu doesn’t care whether he starts or not. “I believe I’m a starting-caliber player in this league,” Dosunmu said. “[Bulls coach Billy Donovan] does also. But whatever it may be to help the team win, that’s the route I go.“
- The Bulls are off to a resilient start to the season, The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry writes. They’ve orchestrated two 20-point comebacks in their 3-3 start to the season and they’ve been able to win with key depth on the injured list. “We know who we are,” forward Patrick Williams said. “We’ve got a bunch of competitors in this locker room, a lot of guys that don’t want to lose and love to win. I think that shows through the way that we play. We’ve got to get back to the drawing board on why we’re getting in these deficits in the first place. Against the best teams, you can’t come back from 20 down.“
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