Cavs Notes: Evan Mobley, Koby Altman, Meleek Thomas, Bucks

The Cavaliers have spent years waiting for Evan Mobley to become more of an offensive force. Well, he’s giving them something to think about.

Mobley has made 12 of his first 21 three-point attempts this season. That’s 57.1 percent, for those keeping track. And no, he isn’t going to shoot that well all year.

But he doesn’t have to. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, Mobley’s improved perimeter shooting could change the Cavs’ ceiling. He’s already a Defensive Player of the Year and one of the league’s best defenders. Becoming a legitimate threat from deep would make him an entirely different sort of problem.

Mobley told reporters this week that he believes his improved shooting is “sustainable.” And Jarrett Allen pointed out that having opposing big men chase Mobley to the perimeter creates more room for everyone else.

I’ve seen that myself. Against the Wizards on Wednesday, Mobley went 5-of-6 on threes. Washington had to start respecting him outside, which meant fewer bodies near the basket.

Nobody needs Mobley to become Stephen Curry. But two or three made threes on a regular basis? That would do wonders for the Cavs’ offense.

Altman reflects

Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman has been running the front office for nearly a decade. He’s seen plenty, including the departure of LeBron James in 2018 and everything that followed.

In a wide-ranging interview with Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, Altman discussed how difficult it was to rebuild after James left, particularly with Cleveland still carrying expensive contracts from its championship-contending years.

“Not only did we lose LeBron (without getting anything in return), but we also had massive contracts on the books from our deep runs in the playoffs,” Altman told Pluto.

Altman pointed to drafting Mobley in 2021 as a major turning point, helping turn the Cavs back into a perennial playoff team.

He’s right about one thing: Replacing a generational player isn’t easy. Just ask any franchise that’s had to try.

The Cavs have made some significant moves under Altman, from acquiring Donovan Mitchell to bringing in James Harden. Some have worked better than others, but nobody can accuse him of sitting around and waiting for things to happen.

Of course, there’s still one rather large goal left. Getting back to the playoffs is nice. Winning a championship without LeBron would be something else entirely.

Thomas questionable

Rookie guard Meleek Thomas made a nice first impression, scoring in double figures in each of his first two NBA appearances. Now he’s dealing with a foot issue.

Thomas missed Thursday’s loss to the Hawks with right foot inflammation and soreness and is listed as questionable on the NBA injury report for Saturday’s game against the Bucks.

That’s a little disappointing, considering Thomas has brought some needed energy to the second unit. His early numbers are encouraging, including a plus-10.2 net rating in his first two appearances. It’s obviously a small sample, but the kid looks like he belongs.

Meanwhile, Jaylon Tyson is out with a right ankle sprain, while Nae’Qwan Tomlin remains sidelined with a lower back stress reaction. So Kenny Atkinson may have to get creative with his rotations. Again.

Familiar habits

The Cavs visit Milwaukee on Saturday night at 8 p.m., looking for their first road win. Perhaps the third time will be a charm.

They’re 3-2, and as I wrote in Friday’s preview, I’ve actually liked quite a bit of what I’ve seen. They’ve been more organized defensively, at least to my eye, and they’ve shown they can overcome some pretty significant deficits. Of course, they’ve also blown some pretty significant leads.

That’s been the story through five games. The Cavs look terrific for stretches, then suddenly forget how they got there.

Milwaukee is 1-4, but that doesn’t mean much. The Cavs have developed a habit of playing to the level of their competition, regardless of who’s on the other side.

There’s plenty of time to clean things up. It’s still October, and nobody needs the Cavs playing their best basketball right now.

But I wouldn’t complain if they could put together four decent quarters Saturday. I’m guessing Atkinson wouldn’t, either.