For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers coined the term “Defend the Land” as their motto for postseason runs.
But for this season, that phrase became the standard for forward Evan Mobley, who took home the franchise’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year Award in a tightly contested race.
In the closest award-race so far, Mobley garnered 35 out of 100 first-place votes. However, he also earned 30 second-place and 20 third-place votes. Mobley finished with 285 points, 88 ahead of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, who had a breakout season.
Daniels finished with 25 first-place votes, 17 second-place and 21 third-place votes while Draymond Green finished with 15 first-place votes, 20 second-place and 19 third-place votes.
Mobley, already a well-respected defender across the league, had a breakout 2024-25 season. The USC product made his first All-Star team and averaged 18.5 points per game, 9.3 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game.
According to the NBA, opponents shot only 44.5% from the field when Mobley was the primary defender, in addition to his 10.4 contested shots per game, the third-highest of qualified players.
Mobley’s frame and athleticism have allowed him to guard nearly every position on the court and captain the Eastern Conference’s top dogs alongside Jarrett Allen.
However, Mobley’s impact defensively goes far beyond the stat sheet. With a new coaching staff led by head coach Kenny Atkinson, Cleveland ranked eight in defensive rating and opposing field goal percentage. According to the NBA, with Mobley on the court, Cleveland’s defensive rating skyrocketed to the second-highest in the League.
Currently, the Cavaliers are out to prove that they belong as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and are matched up against the Miami Heat in the first round.
Although Cleveland runs a help defensive scheme, Mobley has guarded Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jovic throughout the series, where he has held both scorers to under 50% shooting from the field so far.
With the Cavs poised for a deep postseason run, expect Mobley to man the paint and lock up the top option in each playoff game to come.
