Cavaliers Select Evan Mobley with Third Overall Pick in 2021 NBA Draft

The Cavaliers have took forward/center Evan Mobley from the University of Southern California with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

“Tonight we were able to draft a transformative talent, whose versatility, athleticism and physical gifts are qualities we covet in a player,” said Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman. “Evan Mobley checks each of those boxes. We are committed to establishing a sustainable and winning culture in Cleveland and we couldn’t be more excited about Evan being part of our future. We look forward to welcoming the Mobley family to Northeast Ohio and experiencing what it truly means to be part of the Cleveland Cavaliers community.”

In his lone collegiate season at USC in 2020-21, Mobley (7-0, 215) led the Trojans (25-8) to the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time since 2001 and started in all 33 games, averaging 16.4 points on .578 shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.9 blocks in 33.9 minutes. He was named the 2020-21 Pac-12 Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, becoming just the second player from a major conference to win all three awards in a single season (Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, 2011-12). Mobley, who was also selected to the 2020-21 All-America First Team by the NABC and Second Team by AP and USBWA, is the second top-five pick in Trojan history, joining O.J. Mayo (No. 3 in 2008).

One of 10 semifinalists for 2020-21 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Mobley led the Pac-12 in rebounding (8.7), blocks (2.9) and double-doubles (12). His 95 total blocks ranked second in the nation and set a USC freshman record. Additionally, he led all NCAA freshmen in total rebounds (286) and became only the fourth player named Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Year in the same season (Deandre Ayton, Kevin Love and Shareef Abdur-Rahim). Mobley also joined Gary Payton (1986-87) as the only freshmen selected as Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to his stint at USC, Mobley attended Rancho Christian High School in Temecula, California, where he averaged 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.6 assists during his senior season and was named the Morgan Wooten National High School Player of the Year. He was a 2020 McDonald’s All-American, a two-time California Gatorade Player of the Year and a 2020 Naismith Player of the Year finalist. Mobley won gold medals with USA Basketball at the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup and 2018 FIBA U-17 World Cup.

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| | datetime July 29, 2021 12:49 pm | comments Comments (0)

Isaac Okoro Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

Isaac Okoro has been selected to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Okoro becomes the 20th rookie in franchise history to earn All-Rookie Team honors, with Collin Sexton most recently earning a Second Team nod in 2018-19.

Okoro (53 points) received one First Team vote and 51 Second Team votes from a global panel of 99 sportswriters and broadcasters. The voting panel selected five players for the First Team and five players for the Second Team at any position. Players received two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.

After being selected No. 5 overall by the Cavaliers out of Auburn in the 2020 NBA Draft, Okoro went on to appear in a team-best 67 games (all starts), averaging 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 32.4 minutes. Okoro (646 points, 62 threes, 62 steals, 24 blocks) became just the third rookie in franchise history to record at least 500 points, 50 threes, 50 steals and 20 blocks in a single season, joining LeBron James (2003-04) and Kyrie Irving (2011-12). The 20-year-old led all NBA rookies in minutes per game while also ranking in the Top 10 among rookies in steals per game (sixth), points per game (eighth) and assists per game (10th). His 32.4 minutes averaged was the highest by a Cavs rookie since LeBron James in 2003-04 (39.5) and the most by any NBA rookie since 2017-18 (Ben Simmons 33.7 and Donovan Mitchell 33.4).

Okoro scored in double-digits on 35 occasions this past season, which was tied for sixth-most among 2020-21 rookies. He posted 20 points or more three times and one 20-10 game. Over the final 13 games of the regular season, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 34.9 minutes. Against Phoenix on May 4, Okoro recorded a career-high 32 points (10-16 FG, 3-4 3FG, 9-9 FT) and a career-high tying six assists, becoming the first Cavs rookie to record 32 points or more on 16 field goal attempts or less since January 31, 1998 (Zydrunas Ilgauskas, 32 PTS, 12-14 FG vs. DET) and the first Cavs rookie to go 9-9 from the foul line since March 11, 2012 (Kyrie Irving, 10-10 FT vs. HOU). Only three other NBA rookies had a game of at least 30 points and five assists this season (Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, LaMelo Ball).

In a win over Toronto on March 21, Okoro was the first Cavs rookie to tally at least eight points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block in a single game since LeBron James, who did it three times in 2003-04 (3/6/04, 2/25/04 and 11/19/03). During Cleveland’s victory over Boston on May 12, he became just the fifth Cavs rookie since 2000 to tally at least 15 points, six rebounds and six assists in a single game (LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Cedi Osman, Carlos Boozer). Additionally, Okoro notched his first double-double of his NBA career against Indiana on May 10 (22 points and career-high 10 rebounds) and on April 28 versus Orlando, he became the first Cavs rookie to swipe four steals in a single game since 2013 (Matthew Dellavedova).

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| | datetime June 1, 2021 12:47 pm | comments Comments (0)