We’re in an era where people expect players to be a superstar instantly. Expecting Mobley to put up 20ppg on a team with Mitchell and Garland in his second season is crazy lol.
To be fair, they haven’t played very many games as a duo. Both have been out with injury a fair amount, so that should open up more scoring opportunities, but it’s just not his primary place of impact.
@@Watermelon_Man Wouldn’t that inconsistency affect him the same as a young player trying to find his way? One stretch he has the green light while the next he doesn’t.
Another thing to note with Evan Mobley is just how much more efficient he has been shooting this season compared to last. He has upped his TS% from 54.9% last year to 60.0% this season. That's a substantial jump. He also looks much more comfortable in the post/elbow area compared to last season.
the range is building!! maybe I just didn’t see it as much the passing, particularly vision passing and out of the double, he’s been doing reaally well. esp for a big man historically
All he does is layup and dunk lmao of course he'll have high TS. His buddy does the same thing and has 65% TS so 60% TS is actually on the low side. He shoots 45% on hook shots so I don't know see any of this leap you are talking about.
Cleveland native here. It’s amazing when you listen or watch local sports talk and realize how much they either don’t watch the game or understand basketball. Mobley is incredibly special and anyone with any basketball sense at all can see that.
Especially with our media. Can’t even listen to 92.3 or 850 anymore they’re too busy sucking off the browns 365 to appreciate what we have. But I agree with your point.
@@kanyeeast1340 only Cleveland sports guy I give the time of day is Quincy Carrier! He’s channel is great and he is non reactionary and understand the games he’s breaking down.
Fellow Clevelander. Ya sports media just makes shit up 😂 doing actual sports journalism requires work. So they take lazy takes. Fuck the mainstream media. Love these independent guys
It's laziness. I know these guys will tell you how many hours of work they put in and I don't doubt they work hard but their actual analysis is lazy. They watch the game and think they know it but so many of them don't. Are you truly breaking down the game tape? Are you looking at all of the numbers then looking at the game tape to get full context? The answer is often no and that's why it's so frustrating so I'm with you. One of the best self aware moments from a sports radio broadcast was after a Cardinals game where the night before the qb threw what looked like a horrible pass as he threw short to the running back who was wide open. The sideline reporter said he thought it was a poorly thrown ball but when the offense got to the sideline he saw the offensive coaches ripping the running back because he ran the route too far upfield and the running back acknowledged that yeah, he ran the wrong route and wasn't where the qb thought he was going to be. Sideline reporter admitted that incident made him rethink how he views the game and that we often don't know what's really going on.
@@jamesmarshall6619 spot on. Anyone who actually follows a team closely and watches every game can easily identify and see how surface level their expertise is, and it’s blatant. Look at it from a time perspective, they can’t possibly have enough time to closely watch every team/game going on and dive that deep. It’s impossible. That’s why the majority of them lack substance or have a take that’s worth anything. I don’t care too much for people who get paid to “talk” for a living. Eventually it sounds like they’re just talking to take up their time slot in their designated shows.
The Mobley slump argument is so dumb because it really shows us who are casuals and who aren't Evan has improved all around including scoring, yet with new teammates who took away his shots he is still producing on the same level when he was the 2nd option last year.
Evan Mobley, on tape, reminds me of a young Kevin Garnett in that ability to just sense every threat defensively and just appear to erase the advantage. It's not exactly the same, but the comparison came to mind.
Garnett was similar to Mobley in the way they move and they both have incredible instincts and reactions on court. KG was generationally great, I hope Mobley can have as much succes as him. He needs more strength and a reliable jumpshot though, something he is very likely working on.
Like Garnett he never has any wasted movement on defense cause he knows how to slide his feet so smoothly and effortlessly which allows him to cover ground so quickly. Also he understands how to use angles and knows where he needs to be in order to be positioned to recover when coming off his man in help defense. Like I said there is no wasted movement and every little split second of wasted movement adds up greatly when your talking bout the difference from getting a fingertip on the ball on a shot or layup up or not getting a fingertip on the ball can be literally thousands of a second to late! When I say it's something you can't teach it's cause you not only have to have a insanely high basketball IQ but the instinct, reflexes and reactions along with the physical ability on top of the great amount of time spent on your defense footwork!
I'm not disappointed, I'm just sad because the season ended and there aren't the top 10 by ben. Well I kinda understand because he has so much to do and it's a lot of effort to produce that kind of content and still be beaten by those content that are narrative driven arguments. I hope you are happy ben and hope u still produce quality contents. Everyone should listen to his podcast. I listen to it every time I drive, still the best basketball content creator!
the way a person talks about how evan mobley has been playing this season you can tell the who just looks at the box score and who actually watches the games
Been thinking this all year so it is nice to see metrics backing it up. Also, no front court player gets less respect from refs than Mobley. He is constantly getting fouled with no calls (he only had 1 FT attempt in his career high 38 pts Saturday) and gets called on a lot of ticky tack on the defensive end IMO
Yeah same with Herb Jones. Dude is a beast but doesn't get allowed to play defense If your name isnt Zion, then not a single other pelican gets any calls. Superstar calls is the dumbest most criminal nonsense in the game. Rules shouldn't be applicable depending on notoriety rules should be enforced unilaterally
Probably because he's young (also refs are bad) and he's skinny so anytime he gets bumped refs don't know how to call it. In the NBA if you're too big like a Shaq or LeBron, or really skinny like Mobley, refs don't seem to know how they want to call the game when there is some physicality and it's frustrating to watch.
its always been easier to sell FTs for bigs if you play physical. So you gotta get in space faster or bump people better which requires strength. Hel even Jokic is limited to his FTAs too because much of his post game is finesse despite able to muscle in.
Watching these clips Mobley has incredible timing. He is not just a deterrent, but he acts at the last second to surprise shooters and disrupt the action. This makes it harder for players to back it out and find a better shot.
Defense doesn't always show in stats. He's a major factor, and what he did without Allen there to cover any miscues is impressive. He's for real, and his offensive game will come along.
One room for improvement with Mobley is defensive rebounding positioning - it seems like he gets pinned under the basket a lot, and while this puts him in good position to block shots, it seems like guys are able to get a lot of offensive boards on him because of how he gets pushed around a bit down there.
Once he gets some muscle and about 15 lbs more weight than where he’s at now he’ll be able to be better at defensive rebounding. He’s just not strong enough yet
I mean, young big guys get pushed around on the glass. Fact of life because they don't really fill out until year 4. No 21 year old is going to be able to bang with the Steven Adams of the NBA.
Lower body strength for young players is always a key development if they don't have it already. Sure you have some guys who are built like Isaiah Stewart but not the crazy length/footwork/push from the legs on contests like Mobley.
And that's why Thinking Basketball is among the few in the sport that has an objective view of the game. Not the bullcrap that ESPN and others try to tell with only the eye test. Thank you to show the little things players do that don't show in the stats. Just like Caruso in the Lakers
@@RecapRico a funeral? You’re a box score watcher. Literally went back and looked at the highlights to that game. He only scored 3 times when Bam was near him, 2 of those the Heat were in zone and Bam literally just let him shoot a mid range. And the 3rd was on a roll where he finished a layup. Bam literally switches onto guards almost every possession.
Lmao he was the starting center for a championship team and he's played in the NBA for like 10 years. Who are u to say that? And just because some guy u like disagrees with him?weirdo
It still kills me that Mobley isn’t a Rocket. He’s the exact opposite of Jalen Green- selfless, defense first, good passer, efficient. I’m always gonna root for him
@@futurehofer1564 Green’s growth looks iffy so far this season. Still horrid defender, inefficient shooting with bad shot selection, low playmaking… not looking promising.
I think a lot of the critizism hails from impatience. The expectation is that when Mobley makes the jump the cavs might instantly become the best team in the east.
I usually hear him praised for his level of patience, especially considering his age. His 38-point game on Saturday could be a catalyst to more aggressive play from Mobley *at least that's what we're hoping for here in Cleveland* 😁
@@tajmula671 literally the point of the post... What you did was *add context* and OP said "numbers and stats of all kinds can be misleading without context"
15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game with DPOY level defense sounds like an all-star to me, not a disappointment. Every title contender would kill to get that. And on a rookie contract, too.
This is why I always have issues with former players (and journalists) analyzing players and games. Just because you played and know the game doesn't mean you're good at analyzing players or a game. Actual analysis involves breaking down everything, what is the defensive strategy the team is using, what is the role of that player in the system whether its offense or defense, how is the opposing offense or defense reacting to the strategy and your presence, what do all of the numbers say and what is the context related to those numbers. This requires meticulous breakdown of both looking at numbers and looking at game tape to get a full understanding of what is going on and so many of them don't do that. They may look at specific circumstances, look at a really small sample size, but some don't even do that. Here Perk does a bad job of analysis as do other former players like Shaq or Chuck. They rely on the fact they are former players and won championships but analyzing is a different skill set than playing, playing can help inform but it doesn't mean you are actually good at analysis. Just like playing a sport, to be a good analyst you have to put in the work and practice to get good at it.
Clevelander here, if you watch Mobley this year compared to last year you can see huge leaps in his post game, pull up jumper from, pick and roll defense and rim protection. He’s all over the court at all times, it’s crazy how many ft he can cover just in zone. He’s a fantastic player he does all the right things, he plays basketball with fundamentals in mind. He’s not focused on getting 20ppg cause that’s not how the Cavs need him to play, he’s our 3rd or 4th option. Fans expects these players to be studs in their first couple season but not a single person knew about Jokic outside of Nuggets fans his first two seasons, a similar thing goes for Giannis. If Mobley was taken by Houston I think he’s a 20 and 10 guy easy. In Cleveland we need him for his great IQ and fundamentals that shined while he was at USC he’s a perfect fit for this team although he would be the first option on either team that passed on him.
Always nice to see quality basketball content disprove wild takes from mainstream media. If it isn't just plain out wrong what they are saying, theyre at the very least omitting a lot of the real story. Mobley has always been about defense, with a potential to be a scorer too. While that last part may need a bit more time to develop further, his defense is already elite, close to DPOY caliber. Impressive for someone in his 2nd league year.
Defensive 4’s are 100% my guilty pleasure. I love the positional fit because they often can guard 3-5 at least, whereas a center may only be able to guard 4-5. Jon Isaac was a guy I was super high on but obviously his injury luck has sidelined that. Mobley is definitely my new favorite guy to watch defensive highlights from. Also a fan of Mitchell so I love watching this Cavs team.
It's hard to really tell with how quiet Mobley is, but I think he's less anxious / nervous now than he was at the start of the season. I haven't seen him fumble a pass-catch in a while and he looks more confident overall (especially calling for the ball on offense.) Imagine how high strung he was to start the season with all of the team's expectations, Mitchell joining all of a sudden, and also the individual expectation put on Mobley with all of the Garnett/Duncan comparisons he's heard.
I never expected to see Mobley become a true force on offense for a couple of years -- he still needs to get stronger. I am more concerned with his turnovers, he can be loose with the ball at times
He looks really good defensively here. I didn’t even realize people have been saying he’s slumping since I haven’t been watching that much NBA action so far this year
We have to take into account that Mobley is an extremely versatile player who plays with Garland, Mitchell, Vert, and Allen so him not averaging over 20 isn’t a big deal. He contributes in area of the game so he’ll come along
Orlando Magic fan here, would love a video for Franz or Paolo or even Fultz. I think we have a great team who can be in the mix for the play in tournament by end of season as long as our players can stay healthy
Just funny how media tries to criticize a player in his rookie contract not having a "big" leap in his second season. Rookie contract times are when the player improves, not polishes. Big L for media guys trying to hype everyone up and criticize them
Him not being a good shooter is likely an issue. As even with the luck adjustment, he still basically providing no +/- value in the on/off category. As the Cav's are 4pts better on offense with him off the court. Perhaps there is negative shooting luck going on a swell. But, the drop makes sense. Given he'll often be on the court with Allen (non shooter). The negative difference in offensive rating existed last season as well. ( -2.01) In limited sample size. Switching out Mobley for Love or Wade (Good shooters) makes up the difference on Offense. Perkins may have a point about Mobley taking a leap. But, I think it's more relative to the offensive end vs defensive. Cleveland would become a much better team if he could consistently hit open corner three(he doesn't, right?). And knock down some jumpers from other spots. Would certainly help maximize his value when he's asked to man the five spot. Then you could legitimately go five out.
I am genuinely convinced that all of ESPN just hates Cleveland and I believe that for the Guardians, Browns and Cavs. They don’t watch Cleveland sports ESPN just always trying to find a way to not talk about Cleveland. Mitchell had a historic night and all they wanted to talk about was Klay’s 50pts.
Facts cavs my team and all espn talk about is Celtics and bucks and Philly we like a game behind Philly for 3rd place in the east and they ignore the shit and hell yea d mitch drop 71 and they showed it a couple of times and talked about embid and Klays high scoring game more this d mitchs so fuck espn !!
Love Mobley so much. Bought his jersey last season hoping he feels loved enough to not leave. So much of an upgrade over rookie Tyler Zeller as starting 5. Although I love TZ too.
Just watched your warriors defense video and got me thinking. Imagine Mobley in their system. That would be terrifying. Plus, I’m actually a Cavs fan too haha
One reason why I don't watch "sport show" anymore, is that most (like Perkins did) are just going at low hanging fruit. Content with film analysis and deeper statistical analysis with film validation (such as this channel) is the best that you can get and worth watching.
Mobley is 1st in defensive win shares, 1st in real plus/minus, 3rd in defensive rating, 4 in D-Lebron, in the 99th percentile for rim points saved, has contested the most 3 pointers in the NBA, is the second best isolation defender behind OG Anunoby and his 42 passes a game is 6th among bigmen in the NBA. Just putting that out there
Good rule of thumb is if Perk is chirping about it then he is probably wrong and just looking at superficial stats. But excellent breakdown of real basketball which is what I have cone to expect from thinking basketball!
None of the big talking head actually watch the game. They watch the same 3-4 teams all year but have the nerve to talk about player they probably only seen once the entire year
I'm responding to the headline as I listen. With a lot of respect for Donovan Mitchell and his growth in Cleveland, focusing on being a playmaker for others first has never been his mission overall. You see him do it very well when forced to do it because of double teams, but his teammates don't expect him to pass as a rule. In a way, Garland has become more selfish too as he tries to prove he's better at it than Mitchell. Yes.....this is a comment about Evan Mobley, a guy who can only do as much as his coach and playmakers allow. He does 90% of his production without being a focal point of anything on offense. Aaron Gordon in Denver is a great example of what can happen if you actually regularly call a players number.
Without knowing too much, could it be that having two bigmen in Allen and Mobley in and around the paint / in drop coverage is partly responsible for the increased shooting efficiency from 3 when Mobley is on the floor? It would be good to compare the closest defender stats of the shots with Mobley on/off - having only one of the two towers available means there is likely always an extra perimeter defender, so it makes sense to me that there would be a large gap between 3pt efficiency...
I believe that difference isnt bad luck, I believe that most of the times Mobley plays with Allen, and he ends up guarding more power forwards, but because he has this tendency of protecting the inside, (maybe) the Cavs defense ends up giving up more open 3s when they have Mobley and Allen. Thats my guess tho
What I love about mobley is that while he is pretty spotty at offense, you can always rely on his elite defense no matter how well he’s doing at offense. I think if he builds muscle he can be the next Giannis
Scotties been great in recent weeks, so I’m not sure the video would be as impactful since they’d just be reiterating the obvious. The Mobley stuff is more interesting because it’s harder to quantify defence unless you actually watch the team regularly leading to some big misperceptions
I think it goes without saying, that if the numbers don't match the eye test or vice-versa, we need to be extremely careful on how we evaluate players and the context in which they play.
We're also missing the context of shot distribution among the Cavs. I would not expect his offensive #s to jump this season given the Cavs brought in a high usage, high volume shot maker in Donovan Mitchell. Second, Mobleys shot actually looks worse than it did last season (there is almost no arc) but he is not in there to make a bunch of shots. He'd have 15 boards a game if he wasn't always in the air contesting and blocking shots. Not many DOPYs in recent memory have been 20ppg scorers, either. He's there to ruin opposing possessions.
Before this i watched a tiktok/short/reel (can’t remember) Mark Cuban saying the media speaks in generalities and don’t talk about specifics or substances. Safe to say, that video aged well.
You think the Opp 3pt% on/off numbers are at all influenced by Mobleys willingness to play drop coverage? Saying it's all statistical noise seems a bit forgiving, I don't think that stat is a complete coincidence. Great defender still.
one thing the stat is correct is opponents shoot better percentage in 3’s when he plays, and you explained it in this video, overall he’s gonna be a great defender, offensively he has the tools a glimpse of amare and bosh
@@nonamewillbegiven9989 LOL physically maybe but it was a result of lack of skills and talent, they get physical as that’s the only thing they can offer, that’s why it’s a cakewalk for the bulls, just facts
In addition, there's only 1 basketball on the floor. Last year's numbers were without the addition of Mitchell. Mitchell is naturally going to take some of those offensive opportunities away from everybody else. The Cavs defensive strategy with drop coverage and mobley roaming off of average corner shooters is prob a big reason why the 3 point on/off numbers are effected. If the Cavs played a "switch everything" defense, those on/off 3 point numbers wouldn't be so lopsided. Imo.
I believe that numbers are a result of a system. It’s hard for a 7 footer to score when there is another 7 footer who was an all star last season is also in the paint. Jalen Brunson could hav averaged 20 a game last season like he is doing this year but luka took the ball out of his hands. Numbers are a result of the system in place. Impact metrics show a much better picture than stats in my opinion
As a basically life long Cavs fan, that lives about an hour out of Cleveland, I REALLY hope we let Evan develop here. Cleveland sports teams have a habit of not letting rookie players grow into the players they can be. We also have a problem getting players to that point it seems... I just really would love to see this Cavs team, with all this great chemistry and comradery, make something of itself, and that most certainly includes Evan
@Youngin 100% agree with you. This is probably the best team we've EVER had, and that includes our finals winning team honestly. I unfortunately don't think we'll get what we want as Cavs fans. Definitely think they'll make stupid moves from the front office that only hurt in the long run. They never tried to get Lebron help when he was here, and almost expected the man to be able to carry Cleveland to a title. I expect similar stupidity with this team
Watching ESPN analysis shows to farm for content is doing God's work. This video is evidence those shows can still provide some value if they inspire channels like Thinking Basketball.
Nice video. I hate seeing talking heads create these narratives that just aren't supported by the facts, and Perk seems to be one of the worst for doing it. I would love to see you do a video on Jalen Green at some point this season. He has been struggling a bit, especially in what was probably his worst game of the season the other night in Minnesota. And then tonight he had a career high in points. Would like to know if you think he is just having a sophomore slump or if he is learning bad habits or what.
I think the problem is reacting to whatever Perk says. Its clear he's just a talking head and I wouldn't even engage with people who actually believe his takes.
yo he plays next to Allen and Mitchell AND Garland does he not? I think he's gonna have a lot of impact in terms of intangibles, even he doesnt put up crazy per game numbers
We’re in an era where people expect players to be a superstar instantly. Expecting Mobley to put up 20ppg on a team with Mitchell and Garland in his second season is crazy lol.
@@Itsalwayscloudyincleveland Every team would pay top dollar for that for sure lol.
To be fair, they haven’t played very many games as a duo. Both have been out with injury a fair amount, so that should open up more scoring opportunities, but it’s just not his primary place of impact.
@@Watermelon_Man Wouldn’t that inconsistency affect him the same as a young player trying to find his way? One stretch he has the green light while the next he doesn’t.
Remember Tatums second and third seasons where everyone was so disappointed that his numbers seemed like he regressed. Look at him now lol
Kid just dropped 38 too 🔥
Another thing to note with Evan Mobley is just how much more efficient he has been shooting this season compared to last. He has upped his TS% from 54.9% last year to 60.0% this season. That's a substantial jump. He also looks much more comfortable in the post/elbow area compared to last season.
Trueeeee the growth has been better than people are making it out to be
Yeah he went CRAZY da other day wit Donovan Mitchell gone
Pretty big leap indeed, nice additional info there, thanks!
the range is building!! maybe I just didn’t see it as much the passing, particularly vision passing and out of the double, he’s been doing reaally well. esp for a big man historically
All he does is layup and dunk lmao of course he'll have high TS. His buddy does the same thing and has 65% TS so 60% TS is actually on the low side. He shoots 45% on hook shots so I don't know see any of this leap you are talking about.
Cleveland native here. It’s amazing when you listen or watch local sports talk and realize how much they either don’t watch the game or understand basketball. Mobley is incredibly special and anyone with any basketball sense at all can see that.
Especially with our media. Can’t even listen to 92.3 or 850 anymore they’re too busy sucking off the browns 365 to appreciate what we have. But I agree with your point.
@@kanyeeast1340 only Cleveland sports guy I give the time of day is Quincy Carrier! He’s channel is great and he is non reactionary and understand the games he’s breaking down.
Fellow Clevelander. Ya sports media just makes shit up 😂 doing actual sports journalism requires work. So they take lazy takes. Fuck the mainstream media. Love these independent guys
It's laziness. I know these guys will tell you how many hours of work they put in and I don't doubt they work hard but their actual analysis is lazy. They watch the game and think they know it but so many of them don't. Are you truly breaking down the game tape? Are you looking at all of the numbers then looking at the game tape to get full context? The answer is often no and that's why it's so frustrating so I'm with you. One of the best self aware moments from a sports radio broadcast was after a Cardinals game where the night before the qb threw what looked like a horrible pass as he threw short to the running back who was wide open. The sideline reporter said he thought it was a poorly thrown ball but when the offense got to the sideline he saw the offensive coaches ripping the running back because he ran the route too far upfield and the running back acknowledged that yeah, he ran the wrong route and wasn't where the qb thought he was going to be. Sideline reporter admitted that incident made him rethink how he views the game and that we often don't know what's really going on.
@@jamesmarshall6619 spot on. Anyone who actually follows a team closely and watches every game can easily identify and see how surface level their expertise is, and it’s blatant. Look at it from a time perspective, they can’t possibly have enough time to closely watch every team/game going on and dive that deep. It’s impossible. That’s why the majority of them lack substance or have a take that’s worth anything. I don’t care too much for people who get paid to “talk” for a living. Eventually it sounds like they’re just talking to take up their time slot in their designated shows.
The Mobley slump argument is so dumb because it really shows us who are casuals and who aren't Evan has improved all around including scoring, yet with new teammates who took away his shots he is still producing on the same level when he was the 2nd option last year.
Exactly I bet you if the cavs didn’t get Mitchell his PPG would go up
Evan Mobley, on tape, reminds me of a young Kevin Garnett in that ability to just sense every threat defensively and just appear to erase the advantage. It's not exactly the same, but the comparison came to mind.
Id agree. i think Garnett was WAY more agile in his left to right movements too.
Garnett was similar to Mobley in the way they move and they both have incredible instincts and reactions on court. KG was generationally great, I hope Mobley can have as much succes as him. He needs more strength and a reliable jumpshot though, something he is very likely working on.
Like Garnett he never has any wasted movement on defense cause he knows how to slide his feet so smoothly and effortlessly which allows him to cover ground so quickly. Also he understands how to use angles and knows where he needs to be in order to be positioned to recover when coming off his man in help defense. Like I said there is no wasted movement and every little split second of wasted movement adds up greatly when your talking bout the difference from getting a fingertip on the ball on a shot or layup up or not getting a fingertip on the ball can be literally thousands of a second to late! When I say it's something you can't teach it's cause you not only have to have a insanely high basketball IQ but the instinct, reflexes and reactions along with the physical ability on top of the great amount of time spent on your defense footwork!
I can’t believe you never dropped a 2022 top 10 video Ben 😢
I was looking forward to it so much man :(
@@80stallone content is amazing no doubt, im just disappointed lol
Perhaps he hasn't changed his opinion? It might after this season but.
I'm not disappointed, I'm just sad because the season ended and there aren't the top 10 by ben. Well I kinda understand because he has so much to do and it's a lot of effort to produce that kind of content and still be beaten by those content that are narrative driven arguments. I hope you are happy ben and hope u still produce quality contents. Everyone should listen to his podcast. I listen to it every time I drive, still the best basketball content creator!
Same😢
the way a person talks about how evan mobley has been playing this season you can tell the who just looks at the box score and who actually watches the games
had to look up just to make sure he's still only in his second year, wtf Perk lmao.
Been thinking this all year so it is nice to see metrics backing it up. Also, no front court player gets less respect from refs than Mobley. He is constantly getting fouled with no calls (he only had 1 FT attempt in his career high 38 pts Saturday) and gets called on a lot of ticky tack on the defensive end IMO
Yeah same with Herb Jones. Dude is a beast but doesn't get allowed to play defense
If your name isnt Zion, then not a single other pelican gets any calls. Superstar calls is the dumbest most criminal nonsense in the game. Rules shouldn't be applicable depending on notoriety rules should be enforced unilaterally
Probably because he's young (also refs are bad) and he's skinny so anytime he gets bumped refs don't know how to call it. In the NBA if you're too big like a Shaq or LeBron, or really skinny like Mobley, refs don't seem to know how they want to call the game when there is some physicality and it's frustrating to watch.
its always been easier to sell FTs for bigs if you play physical. So you gotta get in space faster or bump people better which requires strength. Hel even Jokic is limited to his FTAs too because much of his post game is finesse despite able to muscle in.
@@t4d0W No Jokic just doesnt get respect from the refs. Its as simple as that
Watching these clips Mobley has incredible timing. He is not just a deterrent, but he acts at the last second to surprise shooters and disrupt the action. This makes it harder for players to back it out and find a better shot.
Saw the title and immediately thought of all the other bball youtubers who just spit stats at you without context lmao
Defense doesn't always show in stats. He's a major factor, and what he did without Allen there to cover any miscues is impressive. He's for real, and his offensive game will come along.
One room for improvement with Mobley is defensive rebounding positioning - it seems like he gets pinned under the basket a lot, and while this puts him in good position to block shots, it seems like guys are able to get a lot of offensive boards on him because of how he gets pushed around a bit down there.
Once he gets some muscle and about 15 lbs more weight than where he’s at now he’ll be able to be better at defensive rebounding. He’s just not strong enough yet
I mean, young big guys get pushed around on the glass. Fact of life because they don't really fill out until year 4. No 21 year old is going to be able to bang with the Steven Adams of the NBA.
Lower body strength for young players is always a key development if they don't have it already. Sure you have some guys who are built like Isaiah Stewart but not the crazy length/footwork/push from the legs on contests like Mobley.
That should come with experience in the league. Those veteran big men are really strong and have that veteran savvy
This video is pure prescience. 38pts on Sat.
The irony of responding to this video with his points scored in single game is fucking hilarious.
@@ziggle5000 I don't think that's what irony is
@@ziggle5000what?😭
And that's why Thinking Basketball is among the few in the sport that has an objective view of the game.
Not the bullcrap that ESPN and others try to tell with only the eye test.
Thank you to show the little things players do that don't show in the stats.
Just like Caruso in the Lakers
Hey can we please get a video on Bam Adebayo’s versatility as a defender. He rarely if ever gets his flowers
@Don't Read My Profile Picture Sure
@Don't Read My Profile Picture no problem, thanks for informing us
@Don't Read My Profile Picture you’re pathetic.
I'm pretty sure Thomas Bryant left some flowers at his funeral after killing him last time they played
@@RecapRico a funeral? You’re a box score watcher. Literally went back and looked at the highlights to that game. He only scored 3 times when Bam was near him, 2 of those the Heat were in zone and Bam literally just let him shoot a mid range. And the 3rd was on a roll where he finished a layup. Bam literally switches onto guards almost every possession.
Oh, Kendrick Perkins doesn't know what he's talking about..? I'm so surprised... 😯
Terrible takes combined with zero entertainment. Perfect for 2023 ESPN.
Most excellent vid. Love it when Mike sprinkles in some extra spice with the scouting and analysis
Perk most likely didnt even watch the game. Or he really doesnt understand how the game works.
Lmao he was the starting center for a championship team and he's played in the NBA for like 10 years. Who are u to say that? And just because some guy u like disagrees with him?weirdo
It’s crazy cause perk was literally a rim protector
@@chanafool bruh Perk was trash he wasn't a true rim protector he was an enforcer. Just a goon who couldnt play the game
he’s definitely more of a ceiling raiser than a floor raiser, which is always underrated in the discourse
I don’t know why, but the content of this channel keeps reminding me of another great UA-cam channel: Every Frame A Painting.
Wake up babe new Thinking Basketball video just dropped
I love that you felt so strongly about Perkins' hot take that you made a video to prove what we all already know: that man just talks out his ass 😂
I just was at the cavs game vs the bucks Evan Mobley dropped 38 with ease and seeing him in person made my jaw drop
It still kills me that Mobley isn’t a Rocket. He’s the exact opposite of Jalen Green- selfless, defense first, good passer, efficient. I’m always gonna root for him
I'll always see the porter Jr trade as a swap for he and mobley. Being a cavs fan, I'm thrilled Houston dropped the ball, no pun intended.
All Houston does is drop the ball
@@thankyoujodi how did they drop the ball if the picked Jalen Green? All they have to do is get rid of KPJ and build around Green and Sengun
@@futurehofer1564 Mobley > Green
@@futurehofer1564 Green’s growth looks iffy so far this season. Still horrid defender, inefficient shooting with bad shot selection, low playmaking… not looking promising.
I think a lot of the critizism hails from impatience. The expectation is that when Mobley makes the jump the cavs might instantly become the best team in the east.
I usually hear him praised for his level of patience, especially considering his age. His 38-point game on Saturday could be a catalyst to more aggressive play from Mobley *at least that's what we're hoping for here in Cleveland* 😁
@@shonthelawn not Mobley's patience. It's the media's patience.
@@Alexander-2956 Ah, now I see. Thanks for pointing that out.
Ben Simmons has more triple doubles than Michael Jordan. Let that sink in.
Numbers and stats of all kind can be misleading without context.
that comparison is misleading because ben simmons literally plays a triple double style
Ben Simmons is taller thzn Michael Jordan.
Let that sink in.
@@tajmula671 that’s his point though
@@tajmula671 literally the point of the post...
What you did was *add context* and OP said "numbers and stats of all kinds can be misleading without context"
Yeah my whole point was just stats no context can make an idiot think Ben Simmons is better than Michael Jordan lol
Wonderful analysis
Came from the future to say the scoring has regressed. The shooting range has never materialized, and the rebounding remains less than dominant.
lol stop talking ball clown
BEN KEEPS DROPPING PEAK HELL YEAH
Thank goodness for channels like this
15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game with DPOY level defense sounds like an all-star to me, not a disappointment. Every title contender would kill to get that. And on a rookie contract, too.
This is why I always have issues with former players (and journalists) analyzing players and games. Just because you played and know the game doesn't mean you're good at analyzing players or a game. Actual analysis involves breaking down everything, what is the defensive strategy the team is using, what is the role of that player in the system whether its offense or defense, how is the opposing offense or defense reacting to the strategy and your presence, what do all of the numbers say and what is the context related to those numbers. This requires meticulous breakdown of both looking at numbers and looking at game tape to get a full understanding of what is going on and so many of them don't do that. They may look at specific circumstances, look at a really small sample size, but some don't even do that. Here Perk does a bad job of analysis as do other former players like Shaq or Chuck. They rely on the fact they are former players and won championships but analyzing is a different skill set than playing, playing can help inform but it doesn't mean you are actually good at analysis. Just like playing a sport, to be a good analyst you have to put in the work and practice to get good at it.
He’s in my Top 10 Favorite Players in the League.
Clevelander here, if you watch Mobley this year compared to last year you can see huge leaps in his post game, pull up jumper from, pick and roll defense and rim protection. He’s all over the court at all times, it’s crazy how many ft he can cover just in zone. He’s a fantastic player he does all the right things, he plays basketball with fundamentals in mind. He’s not focused on getting 20ppg cause that’s not how the Cavs need him to play, he’s our 3rd or 4th option. Fans expects these players to be studs in their first couple season but not a single person knew about Jokic outside of Nuggets fans his first two seasons, a similar thing goes for Giannis. If Mobley was taken by Houston I think he’s a 20 and 10 guy easy. In Cleveland we need him for his great IQ and fundamentals that shined while he was at USC he’s a perfect fit for this team although he would be the first option on either team that passed on him.
Always nice to see quality basketball content disprove wild takes from mainstream media. If it isn't just plain out wrong what they are saying, theyre at the very least omitting a lot of the real story. Mobley has always been about defense, with a potential to be a scorer too. While that last part may need a bit more time to develop further, his defense is already elite, close to DPOY caliber. Impressive for someone in his 2nd league year.
Best basketball channel period. I learn so much
3:47 that's a few big carries in one play.
Thank you Ben for informed opinion. Yet we get Perk on national tv 😕
only guy's analysis i trust these days.
I trust my own. The eye-test always adds a lot of depth to bare statistics, especially if you watch a lot of games.
Defensive 4’s are 100% my guilty pleasure. I love the positional fit because they often can guard 3-5 at least, whereas a center may only be able to guard 4-5.
Jon Isaac was a guy I was super high on but obviously his injury luck has sidelined that. Mobley is definitely my new favorite guy to watch defensive highlights from. Also a fan of Mitchell so I love watching this Cavs team.
Thank you for clearing this up guys
It's hard to really tell with how quiet Mobley is, but I think he's less anxious / nervous now than he was at the start of the season. I haven't seen him fumble a pass-catch in a while and he looks more confident overall (especially calling for the ball on offense.) Imagine how high strung he was to start the season with all of the team's expectations, Mitchell joining all of a sudden, and also the individual expectation put on Mobley with all of the Garnett/Duncan comparisons he's heard.
Love me some Mike DLR content on the main channel 🙌
Wish we could’ve seen Evan’s one year at SC finish out… ✌️
My brotha 🤝
I never expected to see Mobley become a true force on offense for a couple of years -- he still needs to get stronger. I am more concerned with his turnovers, he can be loose with the ball at times
He looks really good defensively here. I didn’t even realize people have been saying he’s slumping since I haven’t been watching that much NBA action so far this year
This man is going to become an all time top 10 player.
incredibly rigorous analysis of the stats to show us that +/- numbers don't always reflect performance. Great content.
Mobley had 4 blocks in a 6 minute stretch in the 3th quarter in that jazz game. Absolutely mind blowing
We have to take into account that Mobley is an extremely versatile player who plays with Garland, Mitchell, Vert, and Allen so him not averaging over 20 isn’t a big deal. He contributes in area of the game so he’ll come along
Ben taking shots! Love it!!
7:00 Great analysis as always, but as a Spaniard I gotta defend my boy Santi Aldama (Aka Slim Spain, aka Santi Claws) he's a 37% 3pt shooter.
Orlando Magic fan here, would love a video for Franz or Paolo or even Fultz. I think we have a great team who can be in the mix for the play in tournament by end of season as long as our players can stay healthy
Just funny how media tries to criticize a player in his rookie contract not having a "big" leap in his second season. Rookie contract times are when the player improves, not polishes. Big L for media guys trying to hype everyone up and criticize them
Do you guys have any episodes on ben Wallace?? Just curious your perspective on the player and/how he would fit today with his defensive versatility.
Him not being a good shooter is likely an issue.
As even with the luck adjustment, he still basically providing no +/- value in the on/off category.
As the Cav's are 4pts better on offense with him off the court.
Perhaps there is negative shooting luck going on a swell. But, the drop makes sense. Given he'll often be on the court with Allen (non shooter).
The negative difference in offensive rating existed last season as well. ( -2.01)
In limited sample size. Switching out Mobley for Love or Wade (Good shooters) makes up the difference on Offense.
Perkins may have a point about Mobley taking a leap. But, I think it's more relative to the offensive end vs defensive.
Cleveland would become a much better team if he could consistently hit open corner three(he doesn't, right?). And knock down some jumpers from other spots.
Would certainly help maximize his value when he's asked to man the five spot. Then you could legitimately go five out.
I am genuinely convinced that all of ESPN just hates Cleveland and I believe that for the Guardians, Browns and Cavs. They don’t watch Cleveland sports ESPN just always trying to find a way to not talk about Cleveland. Mitchell had a historic night and all they wanted to talk about was Klay’s 50pts.
Facts cavs my team and all espn talk about is Celtics and bucks and Philly we like a game behind Philly for 3rd place in the east and they ignore the shit and hell yea d mitch drop 71 and they showed it a couple of times and talked about embid and Klays high scoring game more this d mitchs so fuck espn !!
Love Mobley so much. Bought his jersey last season hoping he feels loved enough to not leave. So much of an upgrade over rookie Tyler Zeller as starting 5. Although I love TZ too.
Just watched your warriors defense video and got me thinking. Imagine Mobley in their system. That would be terrifying. Plus, I’m actually a Cavs fan too haha
Will we ever see a Top 10 2022?
One reason why I don't watch "sport show" anymore, is that most (like Perkins did) are just going at low hanging fruit.
Content with film analysis and deeper statistical analysis with film validation (such as this channel) is the best that you can get and worth watching.
Mobley is 1st in defensive win shares, 1st in real plus/minus, 3rd in defensive rating, 4 in D-Lebron, in the 99th percentile for rim points saved, has contested the most 3 pointers in the NBA, is the second best isolation defender behind OG Anunoby and his 42 passes a game is 6th among bigmen in the NBA. Just putting that out there
Good rule of thumb is if Perk is chirping about it then he is probably wrong and just looking at superficial stats. But excellent breakdown of real basketball which is what I have cone to expect from thinking basketball!
None of the big talking head actually watch the game. They watch the same 3-4 teams all year but have the nerve to talk about player they probably only seen once the entire year
You've been following this guy. Do another summary for his 2nd year.
Can you please do a defensive coverage video?
I'm responding to the headline as I listen. With a lot of respect for Donovan Mitchell and his growth in Cleveland, focusing on being a playmaker for others first has never been his mission overall. You see him do it very well when forced to do it because of double teams, but his teammates don't expect him to pass as a rule. In a way, Garland has become more selfish too as he tries to prove he's better at it than Mitchell.
Yes.....this is a comment about Evan Mobley, a guy who can only do as much as his coach and playmakers allow. He does 90% of his production without being a focal point of anything on offense. Aaron Gordon in Denver is a great example of what can happen if you actually regularly call a players number.
I love the Kendrick Perkins diss at the beginning.
Crazy how the media puts so much expectations on 18-21 year olds, acting like they’re gonna turn into Luka or Ja Morant right away smh
Ben, the background music belongs to your voice. It feels so wrong to let someone else speak to it 😂
Without knowing too much, could it be that having two bigmen in Allen and Mobley in and around the paint / in drop coverage is partly responsible for the increased shooting efficiency from 3 when Mobley is on the floor?
It would be good to compare the closest defender stats of the shots with Mobley on/off - having only one of the two towers available means there is likely always an extra perimeter defender, so it makes sense to me that there would be a large gap between 3pt efficiency...
I believe that difference isnt bad luck, I believe that most of the times Mobley plays with Allen, and he ends up guarding more power forwards, but because he has this tendency of protecting the inside, (maybe) the Cavs defense ends up giving up more open 3s when they have Mobley and Allen.
Thats my guess tho
so I just finished the video and he later said something similar to this lol
Woah woah you mean to tell me that the people what write the scripts at ESPN don't know ball???
I'm shocked.
I like how in a video about how the perception of a player can be misconstrued starts with Kendrick Perkins saying some dumb stuff like he always does
I would love LOOOOVE to have this dude on OKC. He a hooper fr
What I love about mobley is that while he is pretty spotty at offense, you can always rely on his elite defense no matter how well he’s doing at offense. I think if he builds muscle he can be the next Giannis
Can you do a video on the other sophomore seasons? Scottie Barnes, Jalen Suggs, etc?
Scotties been great in recent weeks, so I’m not sure the video would be as impactful since they’d just be reiterating the obvious. The Mobley stuff is more interesting because it’s harder to quantify defence unless you actually watch the team regularly leading to some big misperceptions
I think it goes without saying, that if the numbers don't match the eye test or vice-versa, we need to be extremely careful on how we evaluate players and the context in which they play.
We're also missing the context of shot distribution among the Cavs. I would not expect his offensive #s to jump this season given the Cavs brought in a high usage, high volume shot maker in Donovan Mitchell. Second, Mobleys shot actually looks worse than it did last season (there is almost no arc) but he is not in there to make a bunch of shots.
He'd have 15 boards a game if he wasn't always in the air contesting and blocking shots.
Not many DOPYs in recent memory have been 20ppg scorers, either. He's there to ruin opposing possessions.
How do you make those excellent graphs?
Great video, espn doesn’t really analyze the game like you guys.
Its Perkins. Not surprised
His offensive development has been very real. On a bad team he could easily be at 19+ PPG but that’s not what his team needs
@Youngin yeah unless Garland and Spida are cooking there’s virtually no shooters outside of Kevin Love
Before this i watched a tiktok/short/reel (can’t remember) Mark Cuban saying the media speaks in generalities and don’t talk about specifics or substances. Safe to say, that video aged well.
You think the Opp 3pt% on/off numbers are at all influenced by Mobleys willingness to play drop coverage? Saying it's all statistical noise seems a bit forgiving, I don't think that stat is a complete coincidence. Great defender still.
one thing the stat is correct is opponents shoot better percentage in 3’s when he plays, and you explained it in this video, overall he’s gonna be a great defender, offensively he has the tools a glimpse of amare and bosh
90s NBA is the best. Choke on that troll
@@nonamewillbegiven9989 LOL physically maybe but it was a result of lack of skills and talent, they get physical as that’s the only thing they can offer, that’s why it’s a cakewalk for the bulls, just facts
@@marksines1246 pretty sure Charles Barkley and Karl Malone dont lack skill and talent haha try again troll
@@marksines1246 yep physical aka you were allowed to breathe on somebody and not get called for a foul unlike today. Punk @ss
@@marksines1246 you have no facts. B1+ch
Thanks for the vid
Perkins is a troll and is offically paid for that...
Another cause of bad on/off numbers is he is paired with Love as part of the second unit. Love is not running to contest 3 point shooters.
I was thinking if the opp 3pts shooting boost is due to the defensive strategy. As same thing happened when poku is on the floor.
I wanna see a jaden mcdaniels video. All defensive team level player who opposing announcers don't even know
Getting KG vibes from this guy 💪🏾
In addition, there's only 1 basketball on the floor. Last year's numbers were without the addition of Mitchell. Mitchell is naturally going to take some of those offensive opportunities away from everybody else. The Cavs defensive strategy with drop coverage and mobley roaming off of average corner shooters is prob a big reason why the 3 point on/off numbers are effected. If the Cavs played a "switch everything" defense, those on/off 3 point numbers wouldn't be so lopsided. Imo.
I believe that numbers are a result of a system. It’s hard for a 7 footer to score when there is another 7 footer who was an all star last season is also in the paint. Jalen Brunson could hav averaged 20 a game last season like he is doing this year but luka took the ball out of his hands. Numbers are a result of the system in place. Impact metrics show a much better picture than stats in my opinion
I noticed he’s gotten slightly more comfortable with that midrange jumper. He’s definitely improving
As a basically life long Cavs fan, that lives about an hour out of Cleveland, I REALLY hope we let Evan develop here. Cleveland sports teams have a habit of not letting rookie players grow into the players they can be. We also have a problem getting players to that point it seems... I just really would love to see this Cavs team, with all this great chemistry and comradery, make something of itself, and that most certainly includes Evan
@Youngin 100% agree with you. This is probably the best team we've EVER had, and that includes our finals winning team honestly. I unfortunately don't think we'll get what we want as Cavs fans. Definitely think they'll make stupid moves from the front office that only hurt in the long run. They never tried to get Lebron help when he was here, and almost expected the man to be able to carry Cleveland to a title. I expect similar stupidity with this team
Watching ESPN analysis shows to farm for content is doing God's work. This video is evidence those shows can still provide some value if they inspire channels like Thinking Basketball.
The comparaison of Perkins is really not objective... Sad for an ex NBA player
Nice video. I hate seeing talking heads create these narratives that just aren't supported by the facts, and Perk seems to be one of the worst for doing it.
I would love to see you do a video on Jalen Green at some point this season. He has been struggling a bit, especially in what was probably his worst game of the season the other night in Minnesota. And then tonight he had a career high in points. Would like to know if you think he is just having a sophomore slump or if he is learning bad habits or what.
I think the problem is reacting to whatever Perk says. Its clear he's just a talking head and I wouldn't even engage with people who actually believe his takes.
Are we going to get best players of the 2021-22 season or nah?
Evans a beast in the making
yo he plays next to Allen and Mitchell AND Garland does he not? I think he's gonna have a lot of impact in terms of intangibles, even he doesnt put up crazy per game numbers