Jarrett Allen Reveals What Evan Mobley Is Showing Cavaliers Behind the Scenes

Jarrett Allen expects Evan Mobley to carry what he has shown in practice into games this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers center said Monday.

Mobley averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 54.6% shooting last season. He made 29.7% of his 3-pointers after making 37.0% in 2024-25, the season he was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Across 18 playoff games, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks. He led Cleveland with 24 points in Game 3 of the conference finals against the New York Knicks.

Ball handling is the new piece this year. Allen said Mobley has worked on it since his rookie season and that it is improving again.

"Whenever you're able to see a player go into practice and do things that you've never seen them do before and improve every single year, it makes it a lot easier for you to have faith in [him]," Allen said. "And that's what everybody sees in this building. Every single year he comes back and shows us something new, and now it's just time for him to apply [it] to the game, which we all know and believe he will."

Cleveland drafted Mobley third overall in 2021 out of USC, a few months after acquiring Allen from Brooklyn. He made his first All-Star team in 2024-25, his fourth season.

HoopsHype ranked him the fourth-best power forward in the NBA in September. He is in the second season of a five-year extension that runs through 2030.

Donovan Mitchell said Friday that people dismiss Mobley's successes. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has pushed back on Mobley's omission from the NBA's annual GM survey.

Mobley shot 6-of-14 and scored 14 points when Orlando beat Cleveland 132-116 in the preseason finale Oct. 13.

Cleveland moved Mobley into a two-man pairing with James Harden this preseason, while Mitchell went back to working with Allen.

Harden goes to the basket and throws to Mobley, or Mobley handles it with Harden setting the screen.

"It's growing exponentially because Evan, exponentially, there we go, because Evan keeps on improving," Allen explained. "He keeps on getting better and better, adding things to his game. You already know what James is capable of. He's capable of improving a player to their highest standards."

"So it's just been incredible," Allen continued. "James goes to the basket, throws a lot to Evan, or even Evan handling it, and James setting it. It's an incredible pairing."

Harden arrived from the Los Angeles Clippers at the February trade deadline. He averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 regular-season games with Cleveland and 19.2 points and 5.5 assists in 18 playoff games.

In August, Harden re-signed on a three-year, $97 million contract with a player option for 2028-29. The 2018 MVP is entering his 18th NBA season.

Atkinson has explained the reasoning behind pairing Harden with Mobley. In Harden's preseason debut Oct. 11, he scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in 26 minutes of a 119-105 win over the Orlando Magic.

Mobley and Allen had 7 rebounds apiece in that game.

Bleacher Report ranked Mobley 32nd among the NBA's top 99 players entering the season, 32 spots ahead of Allen.

Cleveland and the Philadelphia 76ers meet Thursday night in Philadelphia, with a 7 p.m. ET tip-off on ESPN.