The Cleveland Cavaliers hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach earlier this offseason and then proceeded to reach contract extensions with three key players: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
While the Cavaliers always wanted to keep Mitchell, there were some questions about whether or not they viewed the Allen-Mobley frontcourt pairing as a fit moving forward.
As a result, trade rumors swirled around Allen, but that speculation was squelched when he signed a three-year, $91 million extension with Cleveland last week.
Apparently, Atkinson convinced Cavs brass to move forward with the current roster and has some pretty big plans for Mobley moving forward.
“Atkinson has plans to add some octane to Mobley’s scoring,” wrote Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. “It’s not simply adding more 3-point shot attempts. Yes, that’s part of it. The goal is to increase Mobley shots, period. Atkinson wants Mobley as a key part of the Cavs fast break and other up-tempo offenses.”
Atkinson also coached Allen with the Brooklyn Nets, so it comes as no surprise that he wanted to keep the big man in the fold.
However, in order for the Allen-Mobley tandem to effectively work, there is no question that Mobley will have to expand upon his offensive game.
Mobley did make 37.3 percent of his three-point tries last season, but he did it on incredibly low volume, attempting just 1.2 triples a night.
The 23-year-old’s offensive arsenal is rather undeveloped as a whole, and now that he is preparing to head into his fourth season, many are expecting a jump from the former No. 3 overall pick.
Mobley averaged 15.7 points per game last year, which was actually a dip from the 16.2 points a night he logged during the 2022-23 campaign.
We’ll see if Atkinson can get the best out of Mobley and Co. next season.
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