The question every Cavs fan has been asking the past few off-seasons is what kind of leap will Evan Mobley take?
Mobley has had steady improvement every year since he entered the league in 2021, which has allowed him to become a key piece of the Cavaliers’ future.
But this season feels a little different.
The 2026-27 season has now become the biggest make-or-break season of his career. After averaging 18.2 points per game last season and only shooting 29.7 percent from beyond the arc, the third-lowest of his career, every Cavs fan will be watching how Mobley’s offensive game has taken that next step.
Donovan Mitchell and James Harden will more than likely be the top two scorers again this season, but they need some help on the offensive end to take some of the load off of their shoulders. Mobley needs to be that consistent third guy on the offensive end.
His jump shot is always going to be the key for him to really elevate his game offensively. In 2024-25 we saw what his jump shot could be, shooting 37 percent from three, which allowed the Cavs offense as a whole be very free-flowing.
With his running mate down low, Jarrett Allen being the anchor for the offense, Mobley being able to space the floor and allow for Allen to work down low is key. If Mobley can shoot around 35 percent from deep and get himself to over 20 points per game, it will make the decision of whether or not to move on from him a lot tougher.
The next key for Mobley this season is proving he can be tough in the paint on both sides of the ball. Quite a few times last season, when Mobley would attack the paint, he seemed scared of contact and took a lot of tough shots from 10 feet away.
Toughness on the defensive side of the ball has never been Mobley’s issue. We saw him walk away with the Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25 and he has steadily averaged almost two blocks a game since entering the league.
One thing Cavs fans have been asking for Mobley to do for a few seasons now is add on some muscle and get a little bit stronger. That is something Mobley has worked on this offseason, but only time will tell how that will affect his game.
Coming off of Cavs media day, Kolby Altman and Kenny Atkinson have a lot of belief in Mobley for this upcoming season. They know Mobley is playing with a chip on his shoulder as he tries to get back to that All-Star level of play from a few seasons ago.
It feels like Mobley needs to play with a chip on his shoulder as he enters year six. He has yet to average 20 points per game and with the addition of Peyton Watson for this season, there will be a new feel to the Cavs this season.
The Eastern Conference has gotten tougher this year as well, especially at Mobley’s position. Kawhi Leonard is back with the Raptors to team up with Scottie Barnes, LeBron James is in Philadelphia now, and the Knicks are bringing back most of their championship-winning roster.
Not only is this a make-or-break season for Mobley, but also for the Cavs as an organization. After making it to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, they need to prove it was not a fluke and that they are true title contenders and Mobley is the key to that.
So the question all Cavs fans will be asking this season, is Evan Mobley truly the future of this organization or is it time to move on?
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleÂ
