Isaiah Mobley wins NBA Summer League Championship game MVP
Cleveland Cavaliers sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley shined brightest at the 2023 NBA Summer League Championship game. With a huge performance to lead the Cavs to a win, the youngster even earned himself the MVP award.
Isaiah Mobley has been a bit of a sleeper on the Cavs roster since being drafted last season. The older brother of Cavs rising star Evan Mobley didn't necessarily shine as brightly as his younger sibling.
However, the older Mobley certainly timed the moment to have his best performance in Summer League this year.
After a series of consistent outings with the unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers, the 23-year-old finally dropped a monster performance against the Houston Rockets in the championship game. With 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead the team, Mobley and the Cavs lifted the Summer League trophy after a 99-78 blowout win.
It goes without saying that Mobley had some solid support. Cavs forward Emoni Bates dropped an impressive 19-point performance while shooting 6-13 from the floor. Meanwhile, sharpshooting guard Sam Merrill had 27 points on the night as he went 6-12 from beyond the 3-point line.
Evan Mobley has undoubtedly secured his place as a key element in the Cavs' roster. However, it certainly does appear that the older Mobley also has some potential to earn his way into the rotation eventually.
Read: Who is Evan Mobley's brother Isaiah Mobley? All you need to know
What's next for Isaiah Mobley?
Isaiah Mobley was drafted as the No. 49 pick in the second round last season. By virtue of the depth in the Cleveland Cavaliers' frontcourt last season, there was very little opportunity for the 23-year-old to earn a place on the team.
Due to this, Mobley was signed to a two-way contract which saw him spend a significant amount of time with Cleveland's G League, the Cleveland Charge. Needless to say, the 6-foot-9 forward dominated.
With an average of 21.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, Mobley showed enough upside to earn a place on the roster. Unfortunately, in his 12 games in the NBA last year he only averaged 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
It is perhaps unfair to judge Mobley based on his time in the NBA considering that he only averaged seven minutes a game. With a year of growth and development behind him, the Cavs may benefit from adding a forward of this caliber to the roster.