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USC Basketball: Brian Windhorst Slams Former Trojans Star For Lack of Development

Was Windhorst in the wrong here?

Matt Levine

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One of the better NBA draft picks to come out of USC in recent years was center Evan Mobley, who was taken No. 3 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2021 NBA Draft. Mobley has helped anchor the Cleveland defense for years but his offensive game hasn't gone up too much. It has hurt the Cavaliers at times and one NBA insider recently called him out for it.

NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN slammed Mobley for his lack of offensive development over the years. Mobley is known for being a defensive player, even though he has shown the ability to play strong offense in flashes.

"He has all the tools to be an excellent offensive player and he's not. He's just not, and you can make excuses for him from now until the sun goes down, he's just not developed as an offensive player,"

This past season, Mobley averaged 15.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point land. He has the ability to take over games on the inside but hasn't consistently proven that he is willing to make it happen.

Where things stand, the Cavaliers are locked into a playoff series against the league-leading Boston Celtics and they need Mobley to step his game up. He scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a Game 1 loss but they will need more if they want to upset Boston.

If Mobley can't prove to the Cavaliers that his offensive game can continue to improve, they may look to move away from him at some point down the line. This postseason will give them more of a clearer understanding of him when the games matter most.

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Matt Levine

MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.