The Cleveland Cavaliers may have a solid 8-5 record, but they’re on a four-game losing streak, and it’s a streak that they need to end while racking up wins in bunches.
For this slide to end, certain players need to pick up their production.
While Darius Garland has been inconsistent to start the season, he did erupt for the game of his life – 51 points on 16-of-31 overall shooting and 10-of-15 from 3-point land versus the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
There is one other player who needs to step things up, but it is not clear if he’s at that stage of his development yet.
It’s Time For Evan Mobley To Level Up
Ever since the Cavs took him with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Evan Mobley has been considered by many to be soaking in superstar potential.
In fact, some have said he could become as great as Anthony Davis, an eight-time All-Star, or even Kevin Garnett, a Hall of Famer.
Mobley came narrowly close to winning last season’s Rookie of the Year award by averaging 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocked shots per game.
But so far this season, his numbers have actually gone down to 14.8 points, 7.5 boards, and 1.4 blocks a contest.
This simply will not cut it for a Cleveland team that appears to have championship aspirations.
Against the Timberwolves, he took only four shots in 32 minutes and made just one, which is totally unacceptable, and defensively, he was lacking, as he allowed Karl-Anthony Towns to collect 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 13 rebounds.
Let’s not forget how dominate Karl Anthony Towns was last night against one of the best defenders in the league Evan Mobley.
— The Daily Wolves (@TheDailyWolves) November 14, 2022
Granted, it will take some time for Mobley to become whatever he will ultimately become, which is true for all NBA stars, especially big men.
But if he somehow bumps up his production, it will result in a bump in the Cavs’ overall output, not to mention their win-loss record.
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