Evan Mobley helps Cavs reach new offensive ceiling in win over Pacers
01/16/2025 12:47 PM
In the second half, Cleveland Cavaliers sixth man Caris LeVert tried attacking his former team to try to build momentum on the road against the Indiana Pacers. LeVert skillfully navigated through several Indiana defenders with a series of quick dribbles, as he is known to do. However, it wasn’t LeVert’s scoring that would get the Cavs rolling after that. Instead, it would be the sixth man’s playmaking.
LeVert’s aggressive drive caused both defenders to collapse inside the three-point arc, creating an opening as Evan Mobley floated on the perimeter as LeVert tried to make an interior angle. In a fluid motion, LeVert dished the ball to Mobley, who seized the opportunity and confidently stepped into a running pull-up three-pointer. Standing before a caught-off-guard Thomas Bryant, who was slow to close out, Mobley released the shot with confidence, knowing it would connect.
Mobley’s confidence in his shot was correct. Moments after his three-pointer swished, the Pacers called a timeout, and momentum was firmly in the Cavs’ corner. LeVert’s playmaking ignited Mobley from the perimeter and indicated the latest evolution in how Cleveland can thrive on offense with Mobley at its core.
"I feel like there's still more to come," Mobley said. "Keep shooting the open ones and try to knock them down. Every time one goes in, my confidence keeps going up and up."
Evan Mobley’s three-point shot has unlocked the Cavs on offense
At the beginning of his career, Mobley would have never considered taking such a shot, particularly early in the shot clock. He often hesitated, looking for a teammate to reset the offense rather than asserting himself. His offensive contributions were primarily centered around the paint and the basket. Most of his scoring came from close proximity to the rim, with very few attempts from beyond the arc.
However, as Mobley has grown more confident and comfortable in his perimeter shooting, it has transformed the Cavaliers’ offensive game. His ability to stretch the floor and shoot from the outside has opened up new scoring opportunities, propelling the Cavs to greater heights on offense.
"It just seems to give us more variety," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We get more gravity, more spacing. You could say our ceiling's higher as he becomes more proficient and the quantity of his threes goes up. That's why we keep encouraging it – 1 for 6, 2 for 8, we keep pushing it. That's really going to help translate in the playoffs when spacing is of monumental importance."
Evan Mobley is still adapting to his increased shooting range
This season, Mobley has a career-high shooting percentage of 42.9% from beyond the arc. After attempting four three-pointers in the recent game against the Pacers, he has now taken 105 attempts for the season, surpassing his previous single-season record by three shots.
This increase in attempts reflects his growing confidence and comfort in attacking defenses from the perimeter. However, Mobley is still on a learning journey, fully aware that this is just the start of developing his outside shooting game.
"They are getting more contested, and I have to get used to that," Mobley said. "I feel like I am getting used to it. More are going to keep going up."
Although he’s still getting used to it, Mobley’s perimeter shooting was instrumental in Cleveland scoring 38 points in the third quarter on the road against Indiana. It gave the Cavs the much-needed spark to secure a win and avenge a winning streak that the Pacers had just snapped. Cleveland will only go as far as Mobley can go on offense. But if the Cavs star big man has more performances like these, there’s no telling what their actual ceiling is.
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