Evan Mobley Loses Out On Defensive Player Of The Year
Cleveland Cavaliers prized power forward Evan Mobley was given some high honors last Friday when he found that he was one of three finalists for the NBA's 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year. The finalists were Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brook Lopez.
However, Mobey will have to wait another year to grab the award because he, unfortunately, did not win it this season.
Those honors went to the Memphis Grizzlies' big man JJJ who finished first in the voting. Lopez finished second and Mobley finished third after receiving eight first-place votes.
It's absolutely disappointing that Cleveland's representative didn't win, but it should by no means be discouraging for him or his fans. Mobley is in just his second year in the NBA and he's also the youngest DPOY finalist in the history of the league.
It would've been awesome for him to win the award, but those no reason to think Mobley won't continue to be a finalist in future years.
He averaged 0.8 steals a game and 1.5 blocks and held a defensive rating of 108.1 which was third-best in the NBA during the regular season. Mobley's 11.3 contested shots per game were also top five in the league.
One of the reasons that JJJ beat Mobley for the award was his ability to protect the rim in the paint. The Grizzlies big man led the league in blocks per game with three.
Perhaps losing out on the award will be a motivator for Mobley heading into next season!
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