You know we had to talk about this one.
It’s the slowest part of the NBA offseason. That means bad takes are going to come flying from every corner of the internet. Recently, it was Jeff Teague who said that Evan Mobley has reached his developmental ceiling — and that Bam Adebayo should be ahead of Mobley in terms of future potential.
“Bam can do more, I think that’s probably the best we gonna see of Evan Mobley,” Teague said. “He can probably become a better shooter, but his body type — he doesn’t
have a Giannis [Antetokounmpo] build.”
It’s unclear why Giannis Antetokounmpo is mentioned in this conversation. The chat simply asked who was better, Mobley or Adebayo. This prompted Teague to imply that 28-year-old Adebayo has a ‘Giannis-like’ breakout within him. A sudden MVP leap from Adebayo would be one of the more shocking developments in league history. That’s not a knock on Bam’s game, but Teague seems to have things backwards at the moment.
Casting aside the fact that neither Adebayo nor Mobley has to play like Antetokounmpo to be successful — there’s some serious mental gymnastics required to believe Adebayo has more untapped potential than Mobley. We haven’t even seen Mobley’s prime years, and yet he’s already a better player than Adebayo, who is four years older and in the middle of his prime.
This brings us back to the original issue. Teague says that we have ‘probably’ already seen the best that Mobley is going to get. This would be a cynical view of any prospect, let alone a player who just reached his first All-NBA team as a 23-year-old (now 24). There’s no reason to think that Mobley, fresh off a breakout season, is going to plateau in his development.
Mobley’s potential caps
Now, let’s be clear about two things.
First, Mobley is one part of a core four. This means that his statistics will never match those of a clear MVP candidate like Nikola Jokic or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Cavs haven’t built their team to center on Mobley as an offensive engine. That’s largely Donovan Mitchell’s role, with Darius Garland and Mobley splitting their share of the pie. This means you have to look at more than Mobley’s averages to dictate his value.
Second, while I’d argue that Mobley’s ultimate ceiling is undefined — he is still almost certainly pressing up against his peak potential. I say this because reaching All-NBA Second Team and winning Defensive Player of the Year on a 64-win team is a huge accomplishment. If Mobley gets any better, then we’re talking about championships and MVPs. That’s a generational type of player, and that type of exponential development is never guaranteed.
With all of this said, we can still point towards obvious areas where Mobley can get better.
Where Mobley can get better
Mobley’s three-point shooting improved drastically last year, shooting 37% and tripling his previous career-high with 85 total three-pointers. This was a much-needed breakthrough in his development. But can he build on this and become a legitimate stretch big? Or will Mobley remain as a player who can only occasionally punish defenders for leaving him open? The difference between those two archetypes is monumental.
Then there’s his handle. Mobley grew more comfortable creating for himself last season, scoring 36% of his points without an assist. That’s a career-high mark. If Mobley can continue to insert himself as a shot creator — and even a potential playmaking hub — then his ceiling is pushed to new heights.
Also, don’t overlook his defense. Mobley might have already won Defensive Player of the Year, but his ability to defend 1-5 and protect the paint is still a skill that can be polished. Adding more weight and becoming more physical are two things that Mobley can do as he gets older. Specifically, Mobley made strides as a rebounder last year. Another step forward would solidify him as a perennial DPOY winner.
Lastly, Mobley has yet to be the centerpiece of a team. We can’t predict the future — but there will likely be a point in his career where he isn’t balancing his touches with two other high-volume guards. We won’t truly know his potential until we see Mobley as the unquestioned first or second option. That might be years away, and who knows how refined his game will be by then.
To summarize, Mobley has more than enough paths to make sure Teague’s comments age like milk. This is no disrespect towards Adebayo. But Mobley is clearly on a higher trajectory.
