CLEVELAND – During the 2022 offseason, Evan Mobley returned home to California, staying in the LA area. He spent time working out at Academy USA, where his trainer, Coach Olin Simplis “The Guard Whisperer,” runs a program called “Big Guard University.” He would hear about daily runs that Simplis was hosting and he knew he had to be there.
Mobley said there was an array of NBA players in the gym, guys like Kyrie Irving, Victor Oladipo and Michael Porter Jr., to name a few. One of those runs occurred on a Friday in late July, there was a visitor – Kevin Durant.
While he was there, Mobley watched how Durant worked.
“It was cool, honestly, to watch how he works, how intentional he is with every rep and stuff like that. He’s definitely super intentional with all the details,” Mobley told The Athletic. “And I mean, he doesn’t miss either while he’s working out. Also, playing against him as well, great matchups, definitely fun playing out there. Like him playing defense on me, I’m playing defense on him, and just playing with the best people, that’s how you get better. So I feel like they definitely helped me throughout the whole summer.”
Simplis has worked Durant out, so with a relationship already established, Mobley said Simplis had invited Durant out to the gym. And Durant took him up on the invitation, coming out a few times throughout the summer to the gym.
Yet, there was another connection with one of Mobley’s teammates, Caris LeVert.
“Me and Kyrie have the same trainer in the summertime,” LeVert said The Athletic. “And we had an open gym, and Kevin was there. Isaiah and Evan are obviously out in that area, and so I told them to come by a couple of times, and we got some good runs in.”
LeVert saw how Mobley wasn’t afraid to go against any matchup and how he competed against the talent level of someone like Durant.
A video clip of one of the runs surfaced on Twitter in late July, showing off snippets of Mobley and Durant.
7’0 Evan Mobley ( @evanmobley ) skillset is nice 😳 playing off the dribble, passing, knocking down shots 🔥 @osimplis runs pic.twitter.com/v3pvcd2FTa
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) July 23, 2022
Isaiah Mobley – who was selected by the Cavs with the No. 49 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and is on a two-way contract with the Cavs – also was a part of those pickup games.
“He was a super cool guy,” Isaiah Mobley said of Durant. “We didn’t really know him at all prior, and so like being able to play against a guy like his statue and just a natural hoop environment like the open gym was super cool. And just yeah, him giving us pointers and then just playing against him definitely gets you better and prepares you for a league like this.”
Isaiah said that they talked about the importance of getting to your spots on the court and continuously working to sharpen strengths, as well as weaknesses, in their individual games.
Durant said on Monday at the Nets’ shootaround that he just wanted to observe and compete against Evan. He’d seen Evan during Brooklyn’s matchups during the 2021-22 season, but this was another opportunity to see Evan up close.
“Just versatile,” Durant said of Mobley’s game at the Nets’ shootaround Monday morning. “A lot of guys coming into the league who can do pretty much everything on a court, and he’s one of those guys who can dribble, who can guard, block shots, shoot 3s, finish over the rim. So, he showcased that this summer. Seeing his work ethic up close is something I wanted to see as a fan of the game because you can see the potential if you see a guy work. And he puts in a lot of work, and he cares about the game. So it’s a bright future for him here in Cleveland.”
“He brought all of it that day,” Durant continued. “I was there with him. It was a fun matchup.”
Those summer pickup games and workouts proved beneficial in certain aspects in Monday’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, as Durant guarded Mobley throughout different possessions of the game, and vice versa. Durant guarded Mobley on multiple possessions, as well as Mobley contesting a number of Durant’s shots. Mobley even stood over Durant as he was on the floor following a contested shot but was called for a foul.
Donovan Mitchell has noticed how Mobley is learning how to finish through contact better – and saw it on display in the second half of Monday’s matchup. Mitchell watched how Mobley continuously attacked Durant.
Darius Garland also saw how physical Mobley was with Durant.
“Sometimes his length, I know it’s crazy, but his length kind of just distracted KD and then just Evan’s fight,” Garland said. “I mean, that’s one of the best players in the world. Just him just taking the challenge on a defensive end and then going at him on the offensive end, I mean, just showing his growth and his confidence.”
(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
The Nets ultimately beat the Cavs 125-117. Durant finished with 32 points, shooting 10 of 18 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3, but overall, Mobley believed he did a decent job guarding Durant. He took tips from those pickup games over the summer, remembering what Durant likes to do and tried to find ways to slow him down.
“It’s great competition. I love playing against top players,” Mobley said. “It’s just fun to go out there and compete.”
Yet, coach JB Bickerstaff noted the challenging task they handed Mobley in that matchup.
“It’s difficult because you’re asking him to do different things, right?” Bickerstaff said. “They played a lot of pick-and-roll when he was guarding him, and now you have to learn how to navigate those screens and do stuff we haven’t had him do a ton of, but he takes the challenge. I thought he did a good job of staying in front. Again, (Durant) made some unbelievable shots. But that’s what the great ones do.”
Following the end of the 2021-22 season, the Cavs helped establish some elements of Mobley’s game they wanted him to work on throughout the summer months to continue his growth. They wanted Mobley to work on facing smaller players when opposing teams decide to switch. Now, Mobley has a game plan, and most of the time, he either scores or is fouled.
The Cavs also stressed the importance of building his perimeter shooting, so Mobley will stay after shootaround and practices to work on his 3-point shot. And the work has paid off in moments, where Mobley has hit big 3s or in fourth quarters when the Cavs needed one the most. Bickerstaff said there isn’t a spot on the floor where they aren’t comfortable with Mobley having the ball in his hands, and either the shot he can create or take.
“Those are all signs that he’s headed in the right direction,” Bickerstaff said. “And he’s just a phenomenal defensive player. He’s got great instincts, knows how to protect the rim, protect the paint and protect his teammates. All those things have continued to grow.”
Mobley is averaging 14.6 points per game through his 35 games this season, shooting 55.8 percent from the field and 22.5 percent from 3. He’s also averaging 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. On Monday night against the Nets, Mobley finished with 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block.
Mobley also is showing how he acts more instinctively when he gets into the lane, instead of thinking too much about what to do. Bickerstaff said the Cavs are involving him in more pick-and-rolls, so he’s catching the ball in the pocket more. His teammates are also looking for him in those situations, especially because they know he’s willing to facilitate and make the next right read.
(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
LeVert sees Mobley’s nightly impact through his poise on both sides of the ball. Mobley can guard one through five, and on the offensive end, can take advantage of switches, push the ball in transition and score down low. LeVert described Mobley as “a well-balanced player.”
Mitchell pointed to Mobley’s 3-point shooting as an easy talking point for his growth. But to him, there’s so much more.
“His voice, being able to talk, being in position, understanding where to be, being a better passer, on the boards,” Mitchell said. “I think the one thing he’s continuously grown at is trying to continue to muscle up and get through and get through the paint. Obviously, he’s not the world’s strongest man, but he’s continuously improving in the weight room, pre-practice, post-practice, you see a lot of that growth in him.”
There have been moments throughout the season where Mobley has been the Cavs’ best player on the court. There are others where he has an impact, but it’s more subtle. He’s earned the trust from the coaching staff, stemming back from his rookie season for how impactful he can be on a nightly basis and that his focus is on winning. The Cavs continue to believe that Mobley is the guy who can help take the Cavs to the next level.
His continued growth is an essential piece of how the Cavs do so.
“He’s a winner,” Bickerstaff said. “And I mean, like, you look at fourth quarters, big moments, how many shots he’s made or how many offensive rebounds he’s gotten, how many assists he’s had when the game is on the line. And, obviously, at the end of the day, it’s impacted our record, and our success is that he just somehow finds a way to help finish out ballgames and to make a play. And he understands a lot of times it’s like, young guys, I got to take the shot, or I gotta drive the ball or I gotta make the final play. Evan just makes the right play. And that play is the play that helps us win.”
(Top Photo: David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
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