CLEVELAND, Ohio — When Evan Mobley was drafted third overall in 2021, Cavs fans dreamed of a modern big man with the defensive impact of Kevin Garnett and the offensive versatility to match. Fast forward to 2026, and it’s another young big making those dreams come true — except he’s doing it for Oklahoma City.
The latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast didn’t shy away from the painful comparison between Mobley and Thunder center Chet Holmgren after Cleveland’s humiliating 136-104 loss to OKC, with Jimmy Watkins putting into words what many Cavs fans are thinking.
“Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley, kind of same deal here. I think Chet Holmgren is the player that the Cavs hoped Evan Mobley would be right now,” Watkins said. “Chet Holmgren’s jump shot is real. Evan Mobley’s jump shot doesn’t look so real right now ... Chet Holmgren seems to have part of a champion warrior type mentality. Evan Mobley’s making noise when he thinks he got fouled. That’s the difference.”
The comparison goes beyond statistics or physical tools. It cuts to the heart of what makes a player truly special in the NBA: mentality and approach. During Monday’s game, Holmgren, 23, showcased an assertiveness that Mobley, 24, has yet to consistently display in his career.
Ethan Sands, Wine and Gold Talk host, highlighted this stark contrast: “Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes out, Chet Holmgren comes in and is like I’m taking over. It’s my show now. He has a different mental maturity that is allowing him to play with a different level of aggressiveness, assertiveness, all the things that we needed to see from Evan Mobley that just haven’t shown up.”
The podcast discussion laid bare uncomfortable truths about Mobley’s development.
Despite being billed as a franchise cornerstone, his offensive game remains inconsistent. Last season’s 37% 3-point shooting now looks like an outlier rather than progress, with the young big man currently shooting just 31% from deep.
Most concerning is how Mobley’s limitations have affected Cleveland’s overall offensive structure.
As Sands noted in the podcast, “Evan Mobley has not been able to be an offensive focal point and to the point where Kenny Atkinson is very skeptical when he goes away from a lineup that contains both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley side by side at this point in the season.”
What makes this comparison particularly painful for Cavaliers fans is seeing the player they hoped Mobley would become thriving on a championship team. Holmgren isn’t just putting up numbers — he’s affecting winning at the highest level, displaying a confidence and swagger that seems foreign to Mobley’s game.
While it’s still relatively early in both players’ careers, the trajectory is concerning.
Holmgren has already established himself as a key contributor on a championship team, capable of stepping up when star players are absent. Mobley, meanwhile, still struggles to assert himself as more than a complementary piece despite being in his third NBA season.
For Cavaliers fans and analysts watching this development, the question becomes less about whether Mobley will reach his ceiling and more about whether his ceiling was overestimated to begin with.
Is the “warrior mentality” something that can be developed, or is it an innate quality that separates good players from great ones?
To hear the complete breakdown of the Holmgren-Mobley comparison and what it means for the Cavaliers’ future, check out the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast episode where no punches are pulled in assessing the team’s cornerstone pieces.
Here’s the podcast for this week: