Cavaliers beat the injury-hit Nuggets 113-108, but Evan Mobley struggled offensively, scoring just eight points and missing all five free throws. Coach Kenny Atkinson criticized Mobley for not taking advantage of the matchup, raising concerns about the star big man’s ability to lead the team on offense.
Cleveland Cavaliers walked away with a 113-108 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, but the result raised some concerns inside the team. Cleveland struggled for long stretches and nearly let the game slip against a Nuggets squad missing key frontcourt pieces.
One of the main worries came from Evan Mobley performance on offense. The big man is still working his way back after a calf injury, but he did not look comfortable scoring the ball. Mobley finished with 8 points on 4 of 10 shooting and missed all five of his free throw attempts. He was active defensively, but the lack of impact on the other end stood out.
The matchup made it more noticeable. Denver started sophomore DaRon Holmes II at center, with Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas both sidelined. Cleveland had a clear size and talent edge inside, but Mobley did not take full advantage of it. Head coach Kenny Atkinson did not hide his frustration after the game.
“Then just, generally, we gotta be stronger with the ball at the rim. Evan, like, c’mon, man. I love Ev, but we got an advantage inside. If we’re gonna throw it to these guys, they gotta do more with it,” Atkinson said, via RealCavsFans.
Credit AP-SCANPIX
The Cavaliers see Mobley as a franchise cornerstone and a future leader of the team. Nights like this, however, highlight the challenge they face. His defensive value remains high, but his offensive growth has not matched expectations so far this season.
Mobley's numbers are trending down compared to last year, and his scoring profile still leans more toward a secondary option rather than a go-to offensive star. For a team with championship goals, that creates questions about the ceiling and the role.
Cleveland escaped with the win, but against a healthier opponent, a performance like this could be costly. As Mobley continues to get his legs under him, the Cavs will need more force and confidence from him on the offensive end.
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