Evan Mobley takes the lead in the last quarter | NBA

As if nothing had happened, and as had already been the case after his sprained elbow the previous month, Evan Mobley regained his rank after two weeks of absence due to the health protocol.

Over his last nine return games, the third pick of the last Draft has compiled 17.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists on average.

The final bouquet

The interior not only continues to show itself to its advantage but has also developed a new ability to find its partners in the last quarter in recent games, becoming the second best passer for the Cavs in this period behind Darius Garland. .

“We have enough confidence in him that he will make the right decision when the ball is in his hands, not only from my point of view, but also from the point of view of his teammates., said JB Bickerstaff after Cleveland’s victory over Utah. “His teammates look for him when games are close to give him the ball because of that confidence. And that says a lot about him. Earning that trust so quickly is hard for most rookies to do.”

Even if the match was already played in the last act against Utah, this confidence was again illustrated, based on simple principles. At the low post, Evan Mobley first seeks the one-on-one. As soon as the defensive aid is triggered, the ball then emerges for a shooter, almost automatically.

Of his four successful assists in the fourth quarter, he found Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen 3-pointers that way. But we also saw him distribute a caviar for his Finnish teammate from the head of the racquet, with a one-handed pass, or deliver a pass in traffic for Darius Garland.

The right fold

In the previous and much tighter end of the game against the Kings, he was then invaluable when Darius Garland found himself caught at two. The pivot then knew how to make the right readings to find the open players. In his last two fourth quarters, he delivered 7 assists.

“He is just starting to play this role. He’s so young, and has so many different assets he can use.” confided Darius Garland, who sees in his teammate the ultimate candidate for the title of rookie of the year. “If I give him the ball at the post, I know it will either be a basket or a choice that will be the right one. If I get a deuce, it’s easy for me to let go of the ball so he can do the right thing. It’s really fun to watch him play. When he’s on the court, he moves freely and he has a very good touch close to the circle. He’s the rookie of the year in my eyes. I hope other people will see it”.

While Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio won’t be returning this season, Evan Mobley’s ability to turn creative effectively in the fourth quarter is a valuable weapon for JB Bickerstaff.

“The more guys you have on the court who can create, the better off you are going to be. So having him with us, knowing the places where you can give him the ball, and being able to associate him with Darius, it forces the defenses to make difficult decisions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi8oRhz-V8o