Evan Mobley Wins Defensive Player Of The Year After Dominant Season

In the latest announcement of NBA award winners on Thursday, Evan Mobley was officially named the 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year. Mobley, 21, will add the 'Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy' to his collection and another feat to his decorated career, which includes an All-Star appearance and a spot on the 2022-23 All-Defensive team.

Mobley will now forever be marked as the first player in history to win the DPOY award as a Cavalier, and it wasn't particularly close. From a panel of 100 media members, based on nominations from the coaches, Mobley earned 35 first-place votes with a total of 285 points. In second place was Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks with 25 first-place votes (197 total score). Draymond Green, who picked up steam late into the season, finished third with 15 first-place votes (154 points).

Mobley had an impressive statistical season with averages of 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 55.7% shooting. His real value, however, came in ways that couldn't be counted, like on the defensive end. Mobley's size, length, and mobility make him a nightmare matchup against opponents, and playing smart on that end allowed him to lead the Cavaliers to a top-10-ranked defense in the NBA.

As a team, Cleveland had one of their best seasons ever in basketball history with a record of 64-18 and a place at the top of the East. Donovan Mitchell was a major part of that, but so was Mobley, who cemented himself as the team's second-best player this season.

As a bonus to his latest achievement, Mobley stands to earn an extra $45 million on his contract, which is now set to pay him $269.1 million over the next five years. It has significant cap implications for the Cavaliers, who will be over the second apron with over $219 million in projected salary.

Regardless of what happens with Mobley's future, nothing can take away his achievements this season, and his place in history will be forever cemented alongside other great defenders like Draymond Green, Dwight Howard, and Kevin Garnett.

The most recent Defensive Player of the Year was Rudy Gobert, who joined elite company with his fourth win in 2024. The only time Mobley was in consideration was in the 2022-23 campaign when he finished third behind Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brook Lopez.

After celebrating his impressive achievement, Mobley is going to put his focus back on the NBA playoffs, and the Cavaliers are making quick progress in the opening round. In a 20-point performance on Wednesday, Mobley helped lead his team to a nine-point win over the Heat and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.

The work is only just beginning for the Cavaliers, and they cannot let up now if they want to make a championship run. After last year's collapse against the Knicks, Cleveland has a lot to prove, and Mobley's play could make or break their season.

Fortunately, he's transformed into a star before our very eyes and is proving in this series that his defensive expertise is not limited to the regular season. We will see how long the Cavs can keep this dominance going and how many levels Mobley has left to ascend to before reaching his peak as a player.