CLEVELAND, Ohio — Something is different about Evan Mobley.

It’s not just the accolades — Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA Second Team, first-time All-Star. It’s something more fundamental, a shift in mentality that could transform the Cavaliers’ future.

As Chris Fedor revealed on the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast: “From a mental standpoint, he is different. And I noticed this in Las Vegas at summer league. He just carried himself a different kind of way. He spoke with a different kind of demeanor to it.”

This evolution in Mobley’s demeanor represents the final piece of the puzzle for a player whose physical talents have never been in question.

For years, the Cavaliers organization has positioned Mobley as their franchise cornerstone — the quiet, California-cool big man whose two-way brilliance would eventually lead Cleveland back to championship contention.

But the mental side could be the biggest difference. The willingness to demand the ball, assert himself, and embrace stardom has taken longer to develop. Now, the signs suggest Mobley is ready to make that leap.

Wine and Gold Talk host Ethan Sands noted this shift during Media Day: “I liked what Evan Mobley said … it’s going to be on him. He wasn’t putting the pressure on Kenny [Atkinson]. He wasn’t putting the pressure on Donovan [Mitchell] to step back. He was putting the pressure on himself to start taking initiative, being more assertive, being more aggressive, saying that he needed the ball.”

This mental transformation didn’t happen overnight.

Fedor traced its evolution through last season’s milestones. His achievements didn’t just pad his resume; they validated his place among the league’s elite.

“All that kind of stuff is like, yeah, Donovan’s here. Yeah, we have Darius. But it’s me,” Fedor explained. “Like everybody has been telling me since I was drafted that I’m the one, that I’m the franchise face, that I’m the guy, that with me the banner is going to come.”

What makes the timing particularly intriguing is how it aligns with injuries to Darius Garland and Max Strus.

These absences create a natural opportunity for Mobley to assert himself in ways that might have been challenging with a fully healthy roster.

Cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins sees this as potentially transformative: “This is where I actually, I really think the Darius and Max Strus’ injuries, while less than ideal, obviously can become sort of a blessing in disguise because now there’s a legit runway … I want Evan Mobley on the court when Donovan’s not, and I want everything running through him when that’s the case.”

The early portion of the season could function as a proving ground — a chance for Mobley to showcase his expanded offensive repertoire and leadership capabilities. The highlight-reel moments, coast-to-coast drives after blocked shots, crossovers against bigger defenders, smooth jumpers off the dribble could open eyes across the league about what Mobley is truly capable of.

Don’t mistake Mobley’s soft-spoken nature for a lack of confidence. The subtle shift detected by the podcast hosts suggests something more profound. A player who has mentally processed what it means to be a franchise cornerstone and is ready to embrace everything that comes with it.

“He is ready to be a star,” Fedor emphasized. “A star in big, bold, capital letters. And he’s ready to embrace and accept everything that comes with that.”

For Cavaliers fans who have patiently waited for Mobley’s offensive game to catch up with his defensive brilliance, the Wine and Gold Talk podcast offers tantalizing evidence that the wait might finally be over. The soft-spoken phenom appears ready to use actions, not just words, to claim his place among the NBA’s elite.

Here’s the podcast for this week:

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