Cleveland's Evan Mobley Secures Defensive Player of the Season Award
Rightful Rim Rocker:
Evans Mobley, the towering Cavaliers' forward, seizes the coveted Defensive Player of the Year award, formerly honoring Hakeem Olajuwon. This accolade comes as recognition for a season brimming with extraordinary defensive prowess.
Mobley's allure lies in his unmatched rim protection, expanded responsibilities guarding on the perimeter, and his exceptional length and mobility making him a formidable defensive powerhouse. Making history, Mobley is the inaugural Cavalier to bag this award.
Beaming with pride after his victory, a humble Mobley shared, "This feels fantastic. My footwork and movement for a player of my size are uncommon, yet getting this honored is incredible."
In the recent 2024-25 regular season, Mobley placed sixth in blocked shots per game (1.6) and thirteenth in defensive rebounds per game (7.0). He robustly contested 10.4 shots per game, the third-highest among players who logged in 70% or more of their team's games (58 of 82).
Opponents struggled to find their mark against Mobley, shooting only 44.5% from the field when he held the closest defensive position - indicating a 3.2% below their expected percentage on those attempts. This difference between actual and expected makes Mobley's defense the fourth-most impactful among the 30 players who defended at least 1,000 shots that season.
The Cavaliers emerged as the eighth-best defensive team in the league, boasting a commendable defensive rating of 111.8, while maintaining a formidable 45.4% opponents' field goal percentage. With Mobley on the court, Cleveland's defensive rating plummeted even further to an astounding 108.6, which would've catapulted them to the league's second-best defense.
Amidst their series lead against Miami Heat (2-0), the Cavaliers are set for Game 3 on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Double Whammy:
Together with his Defensive Player of the Year victory, Mobley secured himself a substantial salary increment. His original rookie contract extension, valued at nearly $224M over five years, rises to a whopping $269M.
His first All-Star appearance during the said season and a potential future All-NBA team appearance appear on the horizon.
Following Victor Wembanyama's season-ending health issue due to a blood clot, the door was wide open for Mobley to seize the award.
Narrow Victory:
Mobley nabbed 35 of 100 first-place votes, but Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels wasn't far behind with 25. Mobley ultimately accumulated 285 total points to Daniels' 197.
The late-season surge from Draymond Green narrowly put him in third place, with 154 points and 15 first-place votes. Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson rounded out the top five.
- Despite the impressive performance of other rookies and NBA stars, Evans Mobley secured a significant salary increase with his Defensive Player of the Year win.
- The generous extension of Mobley's rookie contract now stands at a staggering $269M over five years.
- As a testament to his defensive prowess, Mobley also earned his first All-Star appearance during the season and is on the path to potentially joining the All-NBA team.
- However, Mobley's victory was narrow, as Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was close behind with 25 first-place votes and 197 total points.
- Nevertheless, Mobley's 35 first-place votes and 285 total points secured him the Defensive Player of the Year award.
- In the heat of the season, Mobley's outstanding defensive performance helped the Cavs climb to the eighth-best defensive team in the league, registering a defensive rating of 111.8 and opponents' field goal percentage of 45.4%.
