NBA GMs predict Evan Mobley as the most likely breakout candidate for next season, per annual survey
The Cavs just had a massive offseason, adding Donovan Mitchell to a young core that already had two All-Stars in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
But the most important member of the roster may be Evan Mobley, the talented big man who Cleveland selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Mobley, who was named First-Team All-Rookie last season, had a very promising debut campaign for the Cavaliers. He averaged 15.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.
However, some of the league’s most influential individuals believe that the forward will take yet another step forward next season. Mobley was voted as the player most likely to have a breakout season in 2022-23, per the annual general manager survey from NBA.com’s John Schuhmann.
To check for accuracy, here were the results from previous years:
2022: Jaren Jackson Jr. (17%), Anthony Edwards (13%)
2021: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15%), Michael Porter Jr. (15%)
2020: De’Aaron Fox (19%), Jayson Tatum (11%)
2019: Jamal Murray (20%), Brandon Ingram (10%)
2018: Karl-Anthony Towns (21%), Kristaps Porzingis (14%)
2017: Devin Booker (31%), Karl-Anthony Towns (14%)
2016: Andrew Wiggins (17%), Giannis Antetokounmpo (14%)
2015: Anthony Davis (30%), Bradley Beal (15%)
2014: Anthony Davis (28%), Andre Drummond (10%)
2013: Klay Thompson (13%), Kyrie Irving (10%)
2012: James Harden (21%), Kyle Lowry (11%)
2011: Blake Griffin (15%), Russell Westbrook (15%)
For what it is worth, Mobley is the first player to earn more than 20% of the vote since Karl-Anthony Towns did as much in 2018.
Mobley joins Towns, Devin Booker, and Anthony Davis as the only players to receive more than 20% of the voting share in any given year over the past decade.
The big man recently suffered a sprained right ankle, and he is expected to miss one to two weeks due to the injury. That may keep him on the sidelines for the beginning of the season, but when he is back, his impact will be felt immediately.