"At this stage, he is a bigger Bam Adebayo" - JJ Redick talks about rookie Evan Mobley
JJ Redick has heaped praise on Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Evan Mobley, stating that the 20-year-old is "a bigger Bam Adebayo."
The Cavaliers selected Mobley third overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, and the young player has shown flashes of his potential in his rookie season.
Speaking on an episode of his podcast “The Old Man & the Three,” Redick said of Mobley:
"He gets a lot of Chris Bosh combs. To me, at this stage, he is a bigger Bam Adebayo. He’s a bigger Bam, and his numbers are great. I am comparing him to an All-Star and a Hall of Famer. The potential is there. He is averaging two blocks per game, 1.3 steals a game, Cavs have looked really well."
LeBron on @EvanMobley: "He's going to be a damn good basketball player in this league...so crazy because he was just playing against my son a couple of years ago. This is weird. It's getting more weird by the day."
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JJ Redick enjoyed a 15-year playing career in the NBA but decided to retire in September this year. He averaged 12.8 points per game for his career and shot 42% from three on five attempts per game. Last week, ESPN announced that they hired the 37-year-old to be a studio and game analyst.
Is Evan Mobley the Rookie of the Year frontrunner?
Evan Mobley is currently averaging 13.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 32 minutes per game in just seven NBA games. As the starting power forward, he is also averaging 2.6 assists while making a massive defensive impact with his 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a hot start this season, going 3-4. They beat three teams that were in the playoffs last season, and Mobley has been a big part of their success so far.
Despite the Cavaliers having multiple players who can play big minutes, Mobley leads his team in minutes. This gives him a chance to keep up his good stats.
NBA.com’s Rookie Ladder:
1. Chris Duarte
2. Scottie Barnes
3. Evan Mobley
4. Jalen Green
5. Franz Wagner
6. Davion Mitchell
7. Josh Giddey
8. Jalen Suggs
9. Alperen Sengun
10. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
However, Evan Mobley is currently not the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award, mainly due to the scintillating form of Chris Duarte and Scottie Barnes. Like Mobley, both players have become crucial parts of their respective teams’ successes this season and will have a lot of opportunities to shine.