Last year for the Cleveland Cavaliers, former USC big man Evan Mobley looked amazing. Yes, his stats looked similar from his rookie season to his sophomore season, but the eye test said otherwise. He looked stronger, had more awareness on defense, and had a better touch on offense.
Yes, his blocks per game went down, and his fouls per game went up from his rookie season. Even so, he did make All-Defensive First Team, and for great reasons. The Cavs had the best defensive rating in the whole league, boasting a 110.6 rating. One of the main reasons for this rating was Mobley, as well as his frontcourt partner, Jarrett Allen.