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Departure Of Cavaliers Coach Could Massively Affect Evan Mobley
Oct 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dribbles the ball up the court against the Washington Wizards during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Departure Of Cavaliers Coach Could Massively Affect Evan Mobley

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Tommy Wild  |  Last updated Jun 6, 2025 8:00 PM ET

Finally, after four seasons of watching Evan Mobley's development, the forward blossomed into the two-way All-Star he had the potential to be when the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him with the third overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

One person, in particular, reportedly played a key role in Mobley's breakout season. Unfortunately, they're no longer with the organization.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently noted how much assistant coach Jordan Ott worked with Mobley and oversaw his progression into the star player everyone saw by the end of the year.

"The guy that was given the responsibility to oversee the most important player in the organization's development was Jordan Ott. That's how much Kenny Atkinson trusts Jordan Ott," said Fedor on a recent episode of the Wine and Gold Talk Podcast.

"Every time Evan did any workout on the floor, Jordan was right there. Anytime Evan Mobley watched any type of film, Jordan Ott was right next to him, pointing out intricate details to try to focus on those details to help Evan become a better player and help the Cavs become a better team."

It's fair to wonder if Mobley will continue to develop at such a rapid pace without Ott in Cleveland's organization. This work by Ott was one of the key reasons the Phoenix Suns hired him as their new head coach.

David Richard-Imagn Images

Ott was with the Cavaliers for just one season, but Mobley played like a completely different player under his coaching.

Under Ott's leadership last season, Mobley became the first player in franchise history to win Defensive Player of the Year, and he took a massive jump with his offensive game, averaging 18.5 points per game and shooting a career-high 37.0 percent from behind the arc.

"Evan had the breakthrough season that he did and became the player that that he did, it had to do with Jordan, and the relationship that they built and the kinds of things that they did together behind the scenes when there weren't cameras around um when there weren't reporters around," continued Fedor.

The 23-year-old still has the talent to be one of the best all-around players in the NBA, but Ott will no longer be a part of Mobley's development.

Hopefully, Cleveland's coaching staff can still use the same tactics and strategies Ott used with Mobley to ensure his progression doesn't level off. Obviously, Ott wasn't the only coach who worked with Mobley.

It'll be interesting to see if Mobley can continue to become one of the top players in the NBA or if Ott's departure will affect his ceiling as a player.

Read More Cleveland Cavaliers Coverage:

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This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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