CLEVELAND, Ohio — Donovan Mitchell is the face of [the Cavs](https://CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Donovan Mitchell is the face of the Cavaliers, that much is certain. But for a team that has dominated the regular season to break through in the playoffs, Mitchell knows Mobley must be healthy and performing at his best. Without him, the Cavs' postseason aspirations become far more uncertain. Sunday’s 108-103 loss to the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena with Mobley sidelined due to a right foot contusion was the latest reminder of the 23-year-old's significance. It was a glimpse into what happens when one of the Cavs’ most essential players isn’t on the floor. "This is a game where, obviously, he would help big time, but we also got to hold ourselves accountable because we should have won this game, and that's on us," Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. "Maybe one day, y'all will believe me when I say Evan Mobley is who he is." "https://CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Donovan Mitchell is the face of the Cavaliers, that much is certain. But for a team that has dominated the regular season to break through in the playoffs, Mitchell knows Mobley must be healthy and performing at his best. Without him, the Cavs' postseason aspirations become far more uncertain. Sunday’s 108-103 loss to the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena with Mobley sidelined due to a right foot contusion was the latest reminder of the 23-year-old's significance. It was a glimpse into what happens when one of the Cavs’ most essential players isn’t on the floor. "This is a game where, obviously, he would help big time, but we also got to hold ourselves accountable because we should have won this game, and that's on us," Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. "Maybe one day, y'all will believe me when I say Evan Mobley is who he is.""), that much is certain. But for a team that has dominated the regular season to break through in the playoffs, Mitchell knows Mobley must be healthy and performing at his best. Without him, the Cavs' postseason aspirations become far more uncertain.
Sunday’s 108-103 loss to the Orlando Magic at Rocket Arena with Mobley sidelined due to a right foot contusion was the latest reminder of the 23-year-old’s significance. It was a glimpse into what happens when one of the Cavs’ most essential players isn’t on the floor.
“This is a game where, obviously, he would help big time, but we also got to hold ourselves accountable because we should have won this game, and that’s on us,” Cavs All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said. “Maybe one day, y’all will believe me when I say Evan Mobley is who he is.”
In his first game back from a two-game absence due to a groin injury, Mitchell was forced into an all-too-familiar role. He shouldered the offensive load, taking 28 shots as his supporting cast wasn’t delivering.
It’s a burden he hasn’t had to carry nearly as often when Mobley is in the lineup this season. The two elevate each other — and, in turn, the entire team. Mobley’s offensive growth, rebounding, floor spacing, and rim protection provide stability on both ends of the floor, making life easier for everyone.
That’s why his absence against Orlando loomed so large.
The Magic, a team built on length and physicality, challenged the Cavs in ways that underscored Mobley’s importance.
Even without Moritz Wagner, Orlando rolled out a lineup where every player stood above 6-foot-7. Their sheer size disrupted Cleveland’s rhythm, exposing weaknesses that Mobley typically erases.
Last postseason provided a lesson in how injuries can dictate a series.
In the seven-game first-round battle against the Magic, the Cavs were without Jarrett Allen and Dean Wade in the decisive Game 7. That night, Mitchell had to take 27 shots and pour in 39 points to lead Cleveland to a comeback victory. In that contest, Mobley managed 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Since then, Mobley’s offensive game has grown to the point where he could be the most critical player for the Cavs' playoff success — especially against lengthy teams like Orlando and the defending champion Boston Celtics.
But, other than his time on the court with Mitchell, two other key pairings have taken the Cavs to a different level this season. Mobley is included in both of them.
While many league executives once questioned the viability of Mobley and Allen together, the duo has silenced critics with an elite defensive partnership.
The Twin Towers have made teams adjust their lineups and even look to pair their big men together to see how it could impact their teams' success.
But it’s hard to compete with a duo that has honed their skills together over four seasons.
While neither Allen nor Mobley needs the ball in their hands, they have grown as creators and offensive hubs to begin actions to throw off the rhythm of opposing defense, not allowing them to get into sets or have their ideal matchups.
Allen’s joy of helping Mobley grow and his unselfishness to sit the bench if the game calls for Mobley to run the show at center has created an unpredictability that teams can’t adjust for on the fly.
“When you’re used to having two seven-footers behind you, even for myself, having Evan behind me, knowing he can clean up my messes, you get complacent," Allen said earlier this season. “We had to adjust to him not being there, and I think we just learned how important and how valuable he was by us slipping.”
The other pairing is still working its kinks out, as the addition of 6-foot-8 wing De’Andre Hunter has only fortified Cleveland’s ability to handle teams like the Magic, giving the Cavs another versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions.
Putting Hunter next to a 7-foot Mobley, who has the defensive versatility to guard on the perimeter and the paint, allows the Cavs to tap into schemes that weren’t possible just a few months ago.
“He’s such a big wing,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said about Hunter and his pairing with Mobley pregame. “So those two defensively, right off the bat, they can switch pick-and-rolls. Maybe with a normal wing, you’re not doing that. Evan’s got to stay in coverage. But now, we have more versatility in what we can do. And when Evan’s at the five and [Hunter’s] at the four, now you’ve got five guys that can space the floor with the way Dre’s shooting the ball. It’s the ultimate spread offense.”
Atkinson has also leaned on zone defense and switching to mask weaker defenders, particularly when teams target Darius Garland or Ty Jerome in pick-and-roll situations.
Without Mobley on the floor, Hunter did his best to stand the task.
His main assignment was Paolo Banchero, and Hunter’s performance was admirable. In the two games against Banchero since joining the Cavs, Hunter slowed Banchero, holding him to 2-of-10 shooting and 0-of-4 from three in their matchups since Hunter’s arrival, per NBA.com.
But Orlando still looked to exploit matchups, relentlessly hunting Cleveland’s guards and forcing switches that allowed Franz Wagner and Banchero to attack against defenders without the same capabilities as Mobley or Hunter, getting to the free throw line for 34 attempts as a team.
Over 12 games together, the Cavs have a net rating of 19.1 per 100 possessions when both Mobley and Hunter are on the floor together, and a suffocating defensive rating of 102.6.
Mobley’s absence also forced Atkinson to rely on 34-year-old veteran Tristan Thompson for rebounding and interior defense instead of deploying a more dynamic small-ball lineup with Hunter or Dean Wade at center. Against Orlando’s towering depth, that flexibility was simply unavailable.
The Cavs need Mobley to provide relief for Allen, as they’ve alternated minutes throughout the season while also sharing the floor, offering opponents a different look.
That’s why the Cavs will remain cautious with Mobley’s health, especially as they go on their five-game road trip.
And it’s not just Mobley. Cleveland’s bench players have been crucial to the Cavs' 2024-25 campaign, and their continued success and health will be key to determining how far they can go in the playoffs.
But when it comes to keeping players healthy and peaking heading into the last stretch of the season, it’s easier than done.
While injuries cannot always be prevented, they can redefine a season in an instant.
“You can’t pay for it, and you can’t control it,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said before the game. “You put guys in the best position possible to be successful. But in the game of basketball, things happen, injuries happen, and you cannot control those.”
Cleveland, boasting a league-best 56-11 record, has lost four of those 11 games when Mobley has been absent or unable to finish due to injury.
Despite an offense that has reached historic highs and a defensive identity that is resurging, their championship aspirations are in large part with Mobley on the court. He has gained valuable experience in the postseason’s physicality, but his body must hold up for the battles ahead.
For Cleveland, the objective is clear: keep Mobley on the floor, as their championship dreams depend on it.