Evan Mobley was never really a 3-point shooter. In his lone season at USC in 2020-21, he made 12-of-40 shots from beyond the arc (30%) in 33 games.

Then, in his first five NBA seasons with the Cavs, he made 214-of-692 3-pointers (30.9%) in 334 games. But in the last two postseasons, the big man made 38-of-102 threes (37.3%) in 26 appearances.

Mobley has carried that momentum into this season, as he has made his long-distance shooting an even bigger part of his game. Through four games this season, 12-of-18 3-pointers (66.7%), including 4-of-5 made threes in an overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday and 5-of-6 3-pointers in the win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, including three in the game's first eight minutes.

“Just a shift in his demeanor. He wants to start the season off better than he did last year because he finished really well, but he wants to start the season well,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the game. “He’s put in the work. And then there’s a confidence to him now — it’s raised. …  The jumper looks quicker to me, too. It’s not just that he’s making them. Last year, he made them with time and space. This year, he’s getting them off quicker, and he’s making them with harder contests. It changes the game for us. If he makes 3-pointers – we saw it last year in the playoffs. … I’d like to see him get more than 12 shots, quite honestly. When a guy is in a groove like this, we gotta find him a little more.”

A New Dimension to the Offense

A 4 or 5, Mobley has long spent his time near the elbow in the post in Cleveland’s offense. While that part of his game is still important, the 6-11, 215-pounder becoming a legitimate threat from beyond the arc could change the Cavs’ offense drastically.

“We’re going to be really hard to stop,” Atkinson said of Molbey’s 3-point efficiency. “Our ceiling, if he can hit threes and still be a great defender that he is and should be, then that could be our next jump. … It’s him finding his stuff in the flow."

If Mobley continues his ascension as a legitimate 3-point shooter, it will not only make him a better all-around player, but will open the floor for the rest of his teammates, for driving lanes and for more open shots.

Mobley had made four-plus 3-pointers in a game just six times in his first five seasons. He has already done so twice this season, including five and six made shots from beyond the arc in the last two games.

More Shots, Please

While Mobley’s newfound efficiency from beyond the arc could take Cleveland’s offense to another level, his role inside the arc is still just as important as it was before.

Through four games this season, Mobley has shot 31 2-pointers compared to 18 3-pointers. While that’s fine given his efficiency, Atkinson wants Mobley to not only get more shots, as he’s 13, 12, 12, and 12 so far this season, but also showcase his offensive game both inside the arc and beyond it. If he can do that, he will be tougher to guard, therefore making things easier for the rest of the Cavs’ offense.

“I still want him in the paint and at the rim; it’s just finding that balance. It just opens things up for us. He’s taking timely ones, he’s taking good ones, and he’s taken a few that are contested; that’s where I feel like the speed of his shot has gotten quicker.”