Evan Mobley yelling at ref during Cavs scrimmage hints at major shift in mindset

Fresh off winning the Defensive Player of the Year last season, Evan Mobley is not content with keeping the bar at that level.

With a new season closing in, Mobley’s focus has intensified on and off the court ahead of the Cavs' season opener against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. He wants to raise that bar.

The NBA All-Star from the impressive Cleveland side that bagged the number one seed in the Eastern Conference has been hard at work in the offseason, with Sam Merrill believing that Mobley will look to handle the ball more, utilizing his versatility, particularly his ball-handling in transition.

Even in practice, his confidence and mentality are shining through, and no one is safe — not even the referees assigned to officiate a scrimmage.

Sam Merrill on Evan Mobley:

“In one of our open gyms, a ref made a call and he yelled at him. That’s not something he would’ve ever done before. You can just tell his confidence is through the roof.” pic.twitter.com/gA0oQwDx59
— SleeperCavs (@SleeperCleCavs) October 21, 2025

“In one of our open gyms, a ref made a call and he yelled at him,” Merrill said at a Cavs media session. “That’s not something he would’ve ever done before. You can just tell his confidence is through the roof.”

His defensive intensity is what the Cavs want from him; his accolade from last season is a testament to that. But he wants to improve his offensive skillset too, despite Cleveland having multiple weapons, led by Donovan Mitchell.

“He’s bringing the ball up more, he’s developed a lot more in the actions of the ball in his hand, and we’re just giving him that freedom,” Merrill added. “If he can get to his spots, he can make those midrange jumpers, and he’s a good passer too, so that’s the kind of stuff I think they’re looking out of him.”

It’s his teammates' belief that is spurring Mobley on. Coming off one of his seasons in the NBA, he averaged a career-high 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists a game.

He’s been getting his reps in every day and is ready to adjust his style of play if it means the Cavs bringing home a championship, ten years after LeBron James brought home the title to Ohio.

“Reps, just a lot of reps and coaches believing in me, the team believing in me,” Mobley said during a Cavs media scrimmage. “Having that behind me, while I just go out there and experiment with new things and get better.

“Things are gonna change throughout the season, but it’s just working every day and stacking those days and figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t.”