Cavs Coach Kenny Atkinson Feels There’s One Element Missing in Evan Mobley’s Game

Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has seen much-needed development from a key ingredient on his roster.

It came after the Cavs dismissed the Dallas Mavericks 138-105 on Friday on an eye-popping 61.5% from the field, which included splashing 18 three-pointers out of 38 attempts.

Out of those 138 points, Evan Mobley contributed 29, matching his season high, displaying a sense of dominance that reflects both confidence and assertiveness, which Atkinson says is coming at the right time as the playoffs loom.

“You can feel the momentum, feel him playing better; he's playing more confidently,” Atkinson said about Mobley.

The last piece of the jigsaw that Mobley needs to add

He sees the confidence, but Atkinson believes there is one area Mobley needs to work on.

“He's got more pop, his shot's getting better, [but] he's still got to get the free throws down,” Atkinson advised.

“That's like the last piece, he gets the free throws, and then we really got something. But I just feel more of an aura, and he's turned it up in terms of working on his game, working extra. He's put in the extra work, I think he kind of knows he wasn't playing up to his standard.”

Mobley went 12-for-15 from the field in the win over the Mavericks, but shot a subpar 3-for-7 from the foul line. Previously, he was even worse, going 2-for-7 against the Orlando Magic and shooting 61.8% overall, a season-low for him.

But what makes Mobley’s aggressive form encouraging is that his form began even before the injury to Jarrett Allen. His improved play isn’t simply a byproduct of increased opportunity; it’s the result of hard graft that has been building for weeks.

Another key element of Mobley’s recent success has been his developing pick-and-roll chemistry with James Harden. Throughout the night, the two repeatedly connected. Their timing looked sharp, a reflection of recent training sessions specifically designed to refine that sequence.

“James and him connecting on the pick and roll, that bodes well for us,” Atkinson said.

“I know they had a little session and over these couple of sessions, talking about what James wants in the pick and roll. And I thought they did a great job kind of picking them apart.”

Now, with the season in the thick of the business end, Mobley appears to be peaking at the right time for the Cavs as the team looks to make its move, as they close in on the third-place Boston Celtics.