Anyone who's anyone inside the Cleveland Cavaliers organization made a point in emphasizing just how important Evan Mobley is for the team to reach their ultimate goal of playing for a Larry O'Brien Trophy next summer. 

President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman centered his offseason roster building plans around the idea that Mobley was poised to take another leap. Star guard Donovan Mitchell touted the need for Mobley to become an MVP caliber player. Head coach Kenny Atkinson built his offense around using Mobley more than ever. 

As the quarter pole of the 2025-26 season approaches, the results have been too inconsistent. Take Monday's 110-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors, for example. Mobley took just seven shots for the entire game. Seven. And only one of those came in the fourth quarter, when the Cavs made a late push to cut Toronto's lead to just four points with a about 4:30 to go in the game.

They were held scoreless the rest of the way. Mobley finished with 14 points, but when Cleveland needed him, he wasn't there. Neither was Donovan Mitchell, who dropped a season-low 17 points. The difference is, though, Mitchell has been so brilliant to this point that one dud outing, on the second night of a back-to-back is understandable, mostly, 

It's Mobley's bi-polar performances that are becoming increasingly perplexing. In fairness, adjusting to an increased role is bound to take some time. Atkinson has been more vocal than anyone about that fact. 

Evan Mobley's Confidence WAVERING? | Cleveland Cavaliers LACKING Identity At Season's Quarter Pole Evan Mobley took just 7 shots in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 110-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. Is it just growing pains, or is his confidence ...

Mobley is being asked to bring the ball up more and initiate the offense. He was given more free reign as well to decide what he wants to do at any given point that the ball is in his hands. The idea is to enable him to be the all encompassing player they believe he can be. It hasn't come easy, for the 24-year-old, though. At least not yet. 

Five year's into the Mobley experiment, it's understandable why some question if it ever will. 

That's not to say there isn't still room for Mobley to get better. Development is not always linear and every player is different. It took Giannis Antetokounmpo until about year five to start looking like the MVP caliber talent NBA fans know him as today. In year six he actually won the award while averaging 27 and 12. 

Who Mobley is right now doesn't necessarily mean it's who he'll be a year from now. By no means is his growth as a player done. 

What's concerning though, is that the Cavs are giving the 2021 No. 3 overall pick every avenue to become "the guy" – or one of them since Mitchell isn't going anywhere – and he hasn't been able to seize the opportunity. 

There are far too many times he disappears in the fourth quarter, rather than being the catalyst for a dramatic victory. For some guys that killer instinct just comes naturally, and when the game is on the line, they want the ball in their hands. 

One thing that seems pretty definitive about Mobley at this point is that he doesn't have that in him. At least not yet. What's not so certain, though, is whether or not that type of mentality can be developed? 

There's no denying Mobley has become a better overall basketball player during his first four years in the NBA. That's likely to continue. But being the guy takes a certain psyche and Mobley just may not have it. 

That doesn't mean he can't be a great basketball player. Newsflash, he already is. You don't win Defensive Player of the Year if you're not. 

It just means he may never fully become the player the Cavs organization is touting he'll become.