Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley wins 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
The Cavaliers have been advocating for it for several weeks, and it has now come to fruition: Evan Mobley has been named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year.
Mobley was one of three finalists, along with Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors and Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks.
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Mobley, in his fourth NBA season, averaged 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals. The Cavs often pointed to his defensive value in ways the box scores wouldn't reflect, though, stating how often teams don't even try to challenge the 6-foot, 11-inch forward in the paint.
"I think when people are scared to go against you, that gives you a lot of credit," said Cavs center Jarrett Allen, referencing how teams won't often challenge Mobley if they have any other choice. "It doesn't show up in the stats, but people are literally driving to the rim and turning around because they see Evan."
Mobley is the first player in franchise history to win Defensive Player of the Year, and at 23 years and 299 days old at the end of the regular season, he's the fifth youngest to win the award in league history.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley challenges a shot by Chicago Bulls forward Julian Phillips (15) on April 8, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Donovan Mitchell makes case for Evan Mobley as NBA Defensive Player of the Year
After the Cavs' Game 2 over the Miami Heat, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell again advocated on behalf of Mobley to be named the NBA's top defensive player.
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"He's done it all year in many different fashions. He's done it on guards, bigs, wings. He's our anchor down there, him and [Jarrett Allen]," Mitchell said. "And for him to be as young as he is, to understand angles, understand different things, help side being in different places, that's a talent in itself. I don't know what the numbers are. I really could care less because y'all saw when he didn't play this year, we lost games. So it's like you look at his impact to our group, and I've been telling y'all all year this is the worst he's going to be.
"And if the worst is All-NBA and Defensive Player of the Year, we got something special, you know what I'm saying? This will be his first award. Next year, and first of many in my opinion, him and Victor [Wembanyama] will be battling it out for years. But, yeah, this is who he is."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Evan Mobley wins NBA Defensive Player of the year for Cleveland Cavs
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