Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley is the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, so, of course, he’s also on the All-Defensive First Team the league unveiled on Thursday, May 22.
Drafted third overall by the Cavs in 2021, Mobley made the All-Defensive First Team for the second time in his career. The only other player in team history to make it multiple times is Akron native LeBron James.
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The first time Mobley received the honor was for the 2022-23 season, when he also finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Injuries prevented him from playing enough games to be eligible in 2023-24.
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Mobley, 23, also became a first-time All-Star selection in January. He’s widely expected to receive a spot on an All-NBA team for the first time.
“Evan’s elevated his level to where he’s an All-Star, All-NBA, Defensive Player of the Year,” Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said May 19. “He has to take another jump. I say we go as Evan Mobley goes. I think everyone believes that, which is exciting ’cause he works, he’s an incredible person, he has a great foundation with his family, he has a great belief from everyone here.
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“If you don’t believe a 23-year-old Evan Mobley is going to continue to make these jumps and leaps, then you’re not studying it. You’re not studying the evolution of great players.”
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) contests a shot by Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during Game 3 of a second-round playoff series May 9, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
When will the 2024-25 All-NBA teams be announced?
Mobley will soon learn whether he’s an All-NBA player.
The league is set to announce first-, second- and third-team All-NBA picks at 7 p.m. Friday, May 23, on TNT.
Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell finishes fifth in MVP voting
Mobley isn’t the only Cavs player expected to land on an All-NBA team.
Six-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell is a candidate to become first-team All-NBA for the first time in his career. Mitchell finished fifth in NBA Most Valuable Player voting, an indication he could crack the first team. Mitchell’s only All-NBA honor so far was a second-team nod for the 2022-23 season. Injuries kept him from playing in enough games during the 2023-24 season to be eligible.
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The Cavs haven’t had a first-team All-NBA player since 2017-18, when James represented them for a fourth consecutive season. Aside from James, the Cavs haven’t had a first-team All-NBA selection since legendary point guard Mark Price in 1992-93.
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Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends during Game 5 of a second-round playoff series May 13, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Evan Mobley’s stats
Mobley took a major step on offense in his fourth NBA season, helping the Cavs go 64-18 to secure the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 playoff seed. He played 71 games and averaged a career-high 18.5 points on 55.7% shooting from the field (37% on 3-pointers), 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.6 blocked shots and 30.5 minutes.
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But Mobley’s production dipped in the playoffs. He suffered a sprained ankle in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers and missed Game 2. He played in the other three games of the series, but the top-seeded Cavs were eliminated by the fourth-seeded Pacers in five games.
In eight playoff games, Mobley averaged 17.1 points on 58.6% shooting from the floor (45.2% on 3s), 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1 block and 32.1 minutes. He didn’t attempt more than 13 field goals in any of the Cavs’ second-round games.
“In the playoffs, we need more,” Altman said. “We need more than 13 field-goal attempts a game. That’s new. That’s new for Evan. There’s another jump. … We’re going to see some internal growth there, and we think we have one of the best big men in the game in Evan Mobley.”
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) celebrates his 3-pointer against the Miami Heat on April 20, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Evan Mobley’s successful case for NBA Defensive Player of the Year
On April 24, Mobley became the first Cavs player in franchise history to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
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In the 2024-25 regular season, Mobley was the only player in the league to compile at least 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, 60 steals and 100 blocks. He ranked fifth in the NBA in blocks per game, fifth in plus-minus rating (plus-546, which was best in the Eastern Conference), fifth in contested shots (10.4 average), 12th in field-goal percentage and 16th in rebounding average.
Mobley’s 34 multi-block games ranked fifth in the NBA. No other player in the league averaged more than 1.5 blocks and two fouls or fewer.
The Cavs finished the regular season ranked eighth in defensive rating (111.8) and third in lowest opponent field-goal percentage allowed (45.4).
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Evan Mobley of Cavs makes NBA All-Defensive Team