Cavs’ Evan Mobley named finalist for 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Mobley #Mobley
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cavs forward Evan Mobley was named one of three finalists for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
The league revealed the top three candidates Friday evening. Mobley is joined on that list by Memphis swat-master Jaren Jackson Jr. and Milwaukee anchor Brook Lopez. The recipient — chosen by a vote from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters — will be announced at some point during the NBA playoffs, which begin Saturday afternoon.
Recommended Cavs stories
Mobley, who received cleveland.com’s official vote, finished tied for ninth in blocks at 1.5 per game and 14th in block percentage. He had 59 games with at least one rejection to go with 33 multi-block performances.
When he wasn’t swatting shots, Mobley was altering them, finishing in the 96th percentile when it came to deterring attempts at the rim, with opponents taking 4.2% fewer with him on the floor. He was tied for first in contested 3-pointers per game with 3.6 and averaged the fourth-most contested shots (11.3), trailing Lopez, Nic Claxton and Ivica Zubac in that category. He ranked first in defensive win shares and ESPN’s defensive real plus-minus by a wide margin while sitting fourth in luck-adjusted DRAPM. He was seventh in switching when defending screens in pick and rolls and ranked in the 84th percentile guarding isolations, holding opponents to a measly 0.76 points per direct play despite seeing the third-most such possessions. He was also top 20 in field-goal percentage at the rim.
At 21 years old, Mobley would become the youngest DPOY in NBA history, unseating Kawhi Leonard, Dwight Howard and Alvin Robertson — each of whom was 23 when they captured the prestigious honor.
Boston’s Marcus Smart was the 2022 winner.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
©2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit cleveland.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.