The NBA is filled with rivalries that date back decades, be it the bad boy Pistons against Michael Jordan’s Bulls, or the storied Lakers versus Celtics. But, there’s no rivalry quite like a sibling rivalry. With the Cavaliers drafting Isaiah Mobley as the 49th pick of the second round this year, he now finds himself sharing the court with his elder brother Evan. Even though the two brothers are now playing for the same franchise, I can almost guarantee that Isaiah Mobley will do his best to have a breakout rookie season if it means he can gain bragging rights over his older sibling. As it stands, Evan Mobley has gotten the better of his younger brother, but only because he’s actually experienced time on an NBA court. With this in mind, it would be a better indicator of both their futures in the national league if we examine their college stats.
First, let’s start with the eldest brother Evan Mobley. Evan was a lottery pick in the 2021 NBA draft, taken third overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The California native started 33 games for USC and in that time he averaged 16 points, three blocks, a steal, two assists and nine rebounds during his abbreviated college career. On top of that, he collected many awards during his time at college. 1st team All-Pac-12, 1st team Pac-12 All-Defense, 1st team Pac-12 All-Defense, Pac-12 Defensive Player Of The Year, Pac-12 Player of the Year and Pac-12 Rookie of the Year. Evan was also voted to the first team 2022 NBA all-rookie team. It’s safe to say the older brother made a name for himself not only throughout college but also during his first year as an NBA player. He’s definitely earned his spot as star big man of the Cavs, and will likely only get better from here.
Next, let’s dive into the stats of the younger sibling Isaiah Mobley. Following in his brother’s footsteps, Isaiah also attended USC but didn’t have quite the illustrious college career that his older brother Evan did. Isaiah played three seasons at USC and started 95 games for them, in that span he averaged 10 points, a block, a steal, two assists and grabbed seven rebounds for his college career. To go along with those stats, he was also awarded the 1st team All-Pac-12 honor. Maybe collecting awards just runs in the family. It’s also worth mentioning that Isaiah Mobley usually plays at the power forward spot, leaving the center spot open to his older brother. Both the Mobley brothers on the court at the same time would be a scary sight for the opposing team, not to mention there’s already strong team chemistry between the two.
I’m very much looking forward to the two brothers taking the court together for the first time. The Cavs will be fun to watch in the years to come. They’re a young team that can only get better and continue to build team chemistry as they progress. The Cavaliers have Darius Garland, the breakout point guard that can orchestrate the offense, they have options at the two-guard spot in Collin Sexton and Caris Levert, Cedi Osman is at the small forward spot backed up by Kevin Love and then the Mobley brothers can take the power forward and center positions as well. The future is bright for this Cleveland Cavaliers team.
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