In a move that surprised many, Kenny Atkinson accepted the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offer to become the team’s head coach. Turns out, rising star Evan Mobley had a huge role in landing the former Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers’ assistant coach.
Before entering the NBA, Mobley played college basketball for the USC Trojans, where he emerged as one of the top players in the 2020 recruiting class.
During his freshman season at USC, Mobley averaged an impressive 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 2.4 assists per game. His outstanding performance earned him numerous accolades, including Pac-12 Player of the Year, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, and Consensus Second-Team All-American.
Mobley’s exceptional talent and potential did not go unnoticed, and he was selected third overall by Cleveland in the 2021 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, he continued to showcase his versatility and defensive prowess, earning a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Mobley’s professional career is off to a promising start, and he has already established himself as one of the league’s rising stars. Along with All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, the big man is projected to be a major piece for the Cavaliers in their bid to contend in the coming season.
Evan Mobley’s Role In Cleveland Cavaliers’ Hiring of Kenny Atkinson Revealed
Just recently, the Cavs announced Atkinson as their new head coach for the upcoming season. In an article written by Chris Fedor for Cleveland.com, the role of Mobley in bringing him in was revealed.
Sources say Mobley, one of the franchise pillars, was a primary talking point during Atkinson’s many interviews with Cleveland’s brain trust — either over the phone, via Zoom or in person. Atkinson laid out a detailed plan for Mobley’s development and offensive usage, some of which Atkinson revealed Monday afternoon, saying that Mobley could perhaps one day become a top 5 player.
“All roads led back to Kenny,” Altman said when discussing the lengthy process. “He is modern. He’s the right fit for this group. We loved his background. The head coaching experience, the international experience, his innovative approach to the game just really spoke to us.”
“My experience after Brooklyn, I think it was strategic the way I approached it. Getting with Ty Lue, definitely a different philosophy, a different approach than what I was used to. I soaked it in. It was just a great experience. Have the utmost respect for him. Then obviously going to Golden State and Steve Kerr, it was again a different take, a different way of doing it. That really opened my eyes. I sold that to Koby.
“I look back on Brooklyn like man, there’s so many things I could do better. Then I saw it live. How does Steve do it? How does Ty do it? I think it’s really going to help me. The league is changing like we talked about and just getting, can you get ahead of the league? What’s happening? How quickly is it happening? How are we shifting? I think that’ll be a strength of ours. We will be able to be right with the league or be a step ahead,” Fedor wrote.
Last season, Mobley averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. It is expected Atkinson will develop him more, especially on the offensive end of the court.
It’s still a couple of months away from the NBA’s return later this year so fans won’t be able to see how Mobley will play under Atkinson. In any case, Cavs fans will be looking forward to see the young center show off his new role soon.
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