Early season NBA Most Improved Player power rankings
By Ian Levy
2. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Honestly, the biggest barrier to a Most Improved Player campaign for Evan Mobley may be him landing in the middle of the Defensive Player of the Year race. He finished third behind Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brook Lopez last season and there's every reason to think he'll be in the mix there again.
But while the league seems to have a good handle on Mobley's elite defensive impact, some improvement at the other end of the floor could put him in the conversation here as well.
Mobley averaged 16.2 points per game last season and seriously increased his effective field goal percentage but there's plenty of low-hanging fruit. He's yet to break 70 percent from the free throw line or 30 percent from the 3-point line in either of his two seasons. But having shot 47.1 percent on long 2-pointers last season indicates that significant improvement from both areas is in play.
Also, the vast majority of his made baskets are assisted on but he's the tools to dabble more with self-creation which could help unlock some new features in the Cavs offense. Mobley showed some very interesting things on elbow touches last season — putting up decent numbers both as a passing hub and as a face-up threat. If he makes some more jumpers, picks up a extra points at the free throw line and gets a few more chances to work at the elbows, he could easily push his scoring average above 20 points per game and put himself in the conversations for MIP, DPOY and as one of the best two-way players in the league.