Alright, so here’s the scoop. Evan Mobley, yeah, the big guy from the Cavs, nailed it. He’s the Defensive Player of the Year. Finally, right? It’s kind of a big deal since Cleveland’s never had anyone snag this one.
Evan’s been in the NBA gig for, like, four years. And at 7 feet tall, he’s a giant on the court. He joins a list of cool dudes like Alvin Robertson and Dwight Howard. They all got this award when they were just 23. Seriously, no one younger has taken home the prize since the ’80s. Kind of wild.
During the 2024-25 season, Mobley was blocking shots left and right—1.59 per game. I mean, that’s nuts. And his defensive rebounds? He was pulling down 7 each game. He’s all over those shots, contesting 10.4 per game. Top-tier hustle right there.
What’s cool is opponents didn’t really stand a chance. They’d normally hit 47.7% of their shots, but with Evan up in their grill, that dropped to 44.5%. Math wizards know that’s a big gap. Among the top 30 guys defending over 1,000 shots, he’s sitting pretty high in reducing those percentages.
In terms of team defense? The Cavs, with Mobley doing his thing, ranked eighth in the league for defensive rating and rocked third place in stopping opponents from hitting their shots. If you like numbers, Cleveland’s defensive rating was 108.6 when Evan was out there—second-best in the NBA. Impressive or what?
Evan scooped up some monthly awards too, for December and February. Made his first All-Star appearance as well. And just casually, he averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. The Cavs ended up with a stunning 64-18 record, just shy of their all-time best.
Oh, and Cleveland’s top seed in the playoffs? Thank Evan. Honestly, maybe he’s just lucky or, who knows, just that good. But seriously, the guy’s made Cleveland proud.
