Evan Mobley was a huge factor in the Cavaliers’ series win over the Pistons thanks to his versatility on both ends, which the Pistons are missing from their own big men. Detroit’s centers found success in the regular season, but their limitations led to spacing issues and weaknesses that were exploited in the playoffs.
If the Pistons want to become true title contenders and make deeper playoff runs, they may need more versatile play from their centers on both ends of the court.
Evan Mobley represents an ideal modern big
Mobley obviously has an offensive advantage over the Pistons’ bigs thanks to his shooting and ball-handling. In the 7-game series, he averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game while shooting 52% from the field and 33% from three. His three-point percentage wasn’t great, but he hit some timely shots from downtown and his willingness to take nearly 4 threes a game opened the floor for Cleveland.
On top of his shooting, Mobley has also developed nicely as a ball-handler and decision-maker during his young career. He was great at making plays out of the short roll, which even forced Detroit to adjust their coverage and create new openings. Additionally, the Cavaliers even relied on him at times to run the pick-and-roll himself with a guard setting the screen, unlocking a new wrinkle in the offense.
Defensively, Mobley gives you pretty much everything you could want out of a big man in today’s game. He was able to muck up the paint and keep the Pistons from getting easy shots at the rim. At the same time, Mobley was also capable of switching out to defend guards on the perimeter.
The Pistons must value versatility and two-way skill
Mobley is not as dominant in any single part of the game as the Piston centers. He’s not as devastating of a rim-roller as Jalen Duren was in the regular season. And he’s not as good at protecting the rim as Isaiah Stewart at full health.
But Mobley’s versatility made him an invaluable chess piece in the playoffs that helped his team make constant adjustments. He can fill a lot of different roles for the Cavaliers and give them different lineup options that are key to countering opponents.
This offseason, the Pistons need to pursue players of Mobley’s mold who have more playoff value. They need to upgrade players in their connective positions to have value on both ends. Getting somebody of Mobley’s talent level is a pipe dream, but his archetype will have value even in a lesser player.
The Pistons have now seen exactly what type of player can elevate them; it’s up to them to get one of their own.
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