The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the Eastern Conference.
And while most of that has been because of their offense, their defense has also been a force to be reckoned with.
Evan Mobley is the centerpiece and defensive anchor, and none of this would’ve been possible without him.
That’s why Darius Garland believes the Defensive Player of the Year voting should be a no-brainer.
He recently claimed that Mobley was the undisputed Defensive Player of the Year, and it was pretty self-explanatory:
“Evan is Defensive Player of the Year. Should be a no-brainer,” Garland told Cleveland.com. “You’ve seen it for however many games we are at right now. He’s definitely the best defender in the league by far. Switching onto guards and bigs.
Granted, he doesn’t average three blocks per game like Victor Wembanyama, but with the French superstar out for the season, he’s the best defensive player left in the league, and it’s not particularly close.
Few players can guard one through five like Mobley can.
While he’s not the strongest or biggest power forward/center in the league, he excels at gaining and maintaining position and making the most of his long arms to hold his own against more physical players.
Likewise, his lateral quickness, awareness, and ability to adapt and recover make him deadly against perimeter players.
He’s rarely caught off guard, and he can swat shots into the stands whenever opposing players give him an ounce of space.
Tristan Thompson compared him to a younger version of Anthony Davis, and while he’s not the elite shot-blocker Davis has been for most of his career, he’s still one of the five best rim protectors in the game.
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