Evan Mobley helps Cavs reach new offensive ceiling in win over Pacers

In the second half, Cleveland Cavaliers sixth man Caris LeVert tried to attack his former team to try to build momentum on the road against the Indiana Pacers. LeVert skillfully went through several Indiana defenders with a series of quick dribbles, as he is known to do. However, LeVert did not achieve that would start the Cavs after that. Instead, it would be playing sixth man.

LeVert’s aggressive drive caused both defenders to collapse inside the three-point arc, creating an opening as Evan Mobley floated around the rim as LeVert tried to make the inside corner. With a fluid motion, LeVert flipped the ball to Mobley, who seized the opportunity and confidently stepped into the race to pull the triple. Standing in front of a startled Thomas Bryant, who was slowly winding his way out, Mobley confidently dropped the shot, knowing it would connect.

Mobley’s confidence in his shot was correct. Moments after his three-pointer, the Pacers called a timeout, and the momentum was firmly in the Cavs’ corner. LeVert’s play ignited Mobley from the perimeter and pointed to the latest evolution in how Cleveland can thrive on offense with Mobley at its core.

“I feel like there’s a lot more to come,” Mobley said. “Keep shooting the open ones and try to knock them down.” Every time someone comes in, my confidence grows and grows.”

Evan Mobley’s three-point shot unlocked the Cavs’ offense

Early in his career, Mobley would never have considered making a shot like that, especially early in the shot. He often hesitated, looking for a teammate to reset the attack rather than assert himself. His offensive contributions were primarily focused on the paint and the basket. Most of his points came from close range at the rim, with very few attempts from beyond the arc.

However, as Mobley became more confident and comfortable shooting from the perimeter, it transformed the Cavaliers’ offensive game. His ability to stretch the floor and shoot from the outside opened up new scoring opportunities, lifting the Cavs to greater heights offensively.

“It seems to give us more variety,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We get more gravity, more spacing. You could say our ceiling is higher as he gets more skilled and the amount of his threes increases. That’s why we keep encouraging him – 1 for 6, 2 for 8, we keep pushing him. That will really help translate into the playoffs when spacing is of monumental importance.”

Evan Mobley is still adjusting to his increased shooting range

This season, Mobley is shooting a career high 42.9% from beyond the arc. After attempting four 3-pointers in a recent game against the Pacers, he now has 105 for the season, surpassing his previous single-season mark by three.

This increase in tackles reflects his growing confidence and comfort in attacking defenses from the perimeter. However, Mobley is still on a learning curve, fully aware that this is just the beginning of developing his outside shooting game.

“They’re getting contested more and more, and I’ve got to get used to that,” Mobley said. “I feel like I’m used to it.” It will get worse.”

Although he’s still getting used to it, Mobley’s perimeter shooting was key for Cleveland, which scored 38 points in the third quarter against Indiana. It gave the Cavs the much-needed spark to secure the win and avenge the streak the Pacers had just snapped. Cleveland will go as far as Mobley can go on offense. But if the Cavs’ star big man has more performances like this, there’s no telling what their actual ceiling is.