2021 NBA Draft Profile: Evan Mobley
An extremely talented big man who, in a non-Cade Cunningham-headlined year, might be in consideration for the top pick in the draft.
Position: Center, USC
Age: 20 (6/18/2001)
Height: 7 ft
Wingspan: 7 ft 4 in (pre-Combine)
Weight: 215 lbs.
Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 2
Mobley’s appeal as a top prospect starts with his size and mobility. He’s seven feet tall, with a 7-foot-4 in wingspan, and is slim — but not skinny. He moves very smoothly on both ends, never lumbering. He is able to explode upwards for blocks (2.9 per game), dunks off both one or two feet, and is impressively flexible and nimble. He’s someone you can see switching on to guards and wings as needed, providing strong rim protection, and being able to quickly map and process what the opposing offense is doing before it happens. His only real defense negative is that he’ll likely never be able to stymie the behemoths of the NBA.
Just like on defense, spatial awareness shines through on offense, where he seems to have skipped the 2-3 year learning curve most teenage big men go through and instead already is comfortable manipulating defenses with both his own face-up game and with his passing. Coupled with his solid athleticism, his touch around the rim, and comfort with a few dribbles makes him a good roll man — one able to finish lobs and pass out of the short roll. His jumper is decent, even if it could be tightened up mechanically, and him being able to hit threes and shoot 80% from the line in time wouldn’t surprise anyone. He may never be a high volume bucket getter, but you’d be hard pressed to find a more versatile, precocious big than Mobley.
