Donovan Mitchell Sends Bold Message to Evan Mobley on DPOY Race

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paul White | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 10:37 AM ET

The NBA has a strange way of determining the winners of their award races.

It seems like the NFL and MLB usually give their awards to the best players, but for basketball these selections feel a lot more narrative driven.

An example of this is last season when Victor Wembanyama averaged nearly four blocks and 1.2 steals per game.

Among fans, it was a no-brainer that the Frenchman should be named the Defensive Player of the Year, but because there is a stigma about rookies getting accolades, the award was given to Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.

Something similar is happening this year with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley and Golden State Warriors legend Draymond Green.

When Wembanyama was ruled out for the season with a blood clot, Mobley’s odds to win Defensive Player of the Year shot up.

It was no surprise when you consider that he’s been anchoring a top five defense for the entire season.

However, Green took issue with his lack of consideration for the award and publicly lobbied for it on his podcast.

In a turn of events, Mobley hopped on The Hoop Collective podcast with NBA analyst Brian Windhorst to lobby for the award. He discussed all of his outstanding qualities like being a paint deterrent for smaller guards and anchoring a top five defense the entire season.

Mobley’s teammate Donovan Mitchell got on Twitter to echo the statement and offer his own vote of support. Though he said no words, Mitchell clearly agreed with his All-Star teammate unequivocally.

️️️️️️️ @evanmobley https://t.co/1NkRTD9D5e
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) April 9, 2025

One of the things that has made Cleveland so special is their cohesiveness and camaraderie. If they can bring this sense of togetherness with them in the playoffs, then they have a chance to go far.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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