CLEVELAND, Ohio — Evan Mobley disappeared on Thursday night, and the Cavs paid the price.
In a 126-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland’s supposed future MVP looked more like a ghost than a game-changing big man, taking just seven shots in 35 minutes while being thoroughly outclassed by Scottie Barnes, his draft-class rival.
“The last time that Evan Mobley took seven shots or fewer while playing 35 more minutes was two years ago, December of 2023,” cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins pointed out on the podcast. “It’s one game, but you never want Evan Mobley to look like he did two years ago.”
The significance for Thursday’s game wasn’t solely about the matchup against an opposition that stole the Rookie of the Year award from his clutches, but it was a missed opportunity for Mobley.
With Darius Garland sidelined, Mobley had the perfect chance to step up as the team’s secondary star. Instead, he shrank from the moment, finishing with just seven points and posting a team-worst minus-18 plus-minus.
The contrast with Barnes made Mobley’s futility even starker.
As podcast host Ethan Sands observed: “I think what we saw tonight from Scottie Barnes is who the Cavs want Evan Mobley to be. And that’s disappointing to see because for the last few years, outside of the rookie season where Scottie Barnes went home with the hardware, you thought that Evan Mobley had more potential, had a better skill set than Scottie Barnes.”
While Barnes dominated with 28 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, and 5 blocks, Mobley drifted through the game, content to float rather than impose himself.
The podcast hosts questioned whether the preseason chatter about Mobley’s development — his improved strength, expanded game, MVP potential — was premature or even misguided.
Perhaps most damning was what happened after the game.
Watkins revealed that Mobley wasn’t available to the media, raising questions about accountability.
“You know what happens to superstars who don’t have good games? They have to answer for it,” Watkins said. “Evan Mobley’s not only not playing like a superstar, then he’s ducking the media afterwards.”
This isn’t just one rough night in November. The podcast raised the uncomfortable question that has lingered since Mobley’s arrival: What if this passive, inconsistent version is simply who he is? What if the imagined ceiling of a Giannis-like force was always more wishful thinking than realistic projection?
Through 13 games, the Cavs have seen flashes of aggression from Mobley, but Thursday was a regression. The mistakes Mobley should be making at this stage — errors born from assertiveness and risk-taking — were replaced by a timid, deferential performance reminiscent of his rookie days.
For a team with championship aspirations, Mobley’s development is existential.
Can the Cavs contend if their supposed franchise cornerstone disappears in the moments that matter most? Thursday night offered a troubling glimpse of an answer that might be far more concerning than fans want to admit.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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