Giannis Antetokounmpo impressed by Cavaliers' Evan Mobley: 'He can be better than me'

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, 117-102, for their second double-digit defeat against their division rival in the span of 10 days. They built a 16-point lead early, but collapsed in the second half, with a 35-10 third quarter for the Bucks being the turning point. 

It was a rough night for most in Cavaliers jerseys, as the team shot just 39.1 percent from the field. Evan Mobley, in particular, struggled with the strength and physicality of Milwaukee's frontline. But despite finishing with eight points and eight rebounds on 2-of-12 from the field, the budding young star left an impression on Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

"He can be better than me," Antetokounmpo said to Cleveland.com. "I don't see why he can't. It's up to him. I will always try to improve. Every day. But he has the skill set to be a very, very good player. He's 7-feet tall. He can move really well. He can shoot. He is very smart. As you said, he watches tapes of other players, which is very, very good for a young player. If he takes this seriously, he is going to be great.

"I didn't average what he is in my second season, so he's already ahead of me. It's in his hands. If he stays humble, continues to work hard, focuses on the game and shows love to the game of basketball, he is going to be really good."

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley was the Rookie of the Year runner-up last season and is putting up 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field through 19 games in this campaign. His lanky frame and advanced defensive instincts have led to comparisons between him and a young Antetokounmpo.

When the two teams played for the first time this season on Nov. 16, Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff explained that the organization has even used Antetokounmpo as an example for Mobley, particularly in the way the two-time MVP has developed his body and gotten stronger throughout his career. 

"Last year we actually talked to him about it, and showed him pictures of Giannis from his first year to now," Bickerstaff said. "Those were conversations that we had with him. I believe they are similar in that way. When I talk to Evan, we talk about when his legs and core catch up to his skill and talent, the problem that's going to present for defenses and opponents period."

Antetokounmpo is well on his way to becoming a top-10-15 player all-time, and no matter how hard Mobley works on his body, and how much he improves on both sides of the ball, he may never reach those levels; few players ever will. Still, it's clear Mobley is on the path to stardom. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What was the price of Mark Cuban’s majority stake sale in the Dallas Mavericks, and what was the deal’s special clause?

Mark Cuban, an American entrepreneur and investor best known for his appearance on the television show Shark Tank, is set to retain complete control over every aspect of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team. The team’s ownership is currently in the process of being transferred , and it has been estimated that the deal could be worth as much as $3.5 billion . The transfer of ownership is expected to be approved by the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) in the coming weeks. Cuban, who has been the owner of the Mavericks since 2000, when he purchased a majority stake in the team for $285 million , will continue to hold a stake in the franchise and retain control over all basketball decisions. The team’s new owner will be Miriam Adelson , the widow of Sheldon Adelson, a well-known casino magnate. She will take over ownership of the team, but Cuban will remain the driving force behind the team’s decision-making process. 2000: 2023: Cuban buys Mavs
Read more

Wise n' Shine: MLB picks and US Open tennis predictions for Monday, August 28

Good morning, Pickswise Nation, and welcome to another wonderful week of sports. The US Open tennis tournament starts today and we have a bigger-than-usual Monday baseball slate too, so let’s get straight to making your next bet better. About Last Night Great week for our Golf expert! Our Golf expert Diane Knox Balas is in red-hot form cashed +550 winner Viktor Hovland in the Tour Championship on Sunday as well as a winning +1200 play on Xander Schauffele to be the top American player. Hovland won by 5 shots with Schauffele in 2nd place! Back-to-back MLB parlay wins! After we cashed both our MLB mega parlay and standard parlay on Saturday, the Pickswise team were back at it again with another parlay win at +569 odds yesterday. It wasn’t even a sweat as we had the Cubs ML (won 10-1), Astros -1.5 (beat the Tigers 17-4!) and over 8.5 in Rangers-Twins, which Minnesota won 7-6. On top of that, our MLB Best Bet of the Rays’ ML cashed as they beat the Yankees 7-4. If you’re looking fo
Read more

Best NBA Parlay Picks Today, Tuesday 11/28: 3-Leg Parlay at mega +738 odds: Knicks have motivation at home

The first month of the 2023-24 NBA season produced some terrific action, with high-profile primetime matchups galore and exciting upsets across the league. The in-season tournament continues on Tuesday and the action features a number of compelling matchups, including Warriors vs Kings, Bucks vs Heat and more! A massive slate of NBA hoops tonight definitely calls for an NBA mega parlay. Below are my plays for Wednesday, and also be sure to check out all of our NBA picks for all of tonight’s matchups. Knicks -11 (-110) Kings -1.5 (-110) Heat ML (+130) NBA parlay odds: +738   For this parlay, we are going with an underdog on the money line and two favorites against the spread. Let’s break down each of the legs. New York Knicks -11 over Charlotte Hornets (-110)   In one of the better spots on the board on Tuesday, the New York Knicks need a convincing victory at home to stay clear of the Miami Heat and advance to the knockout stages of the in-season tournament. It just
Read more