Cavs should use third pick on Mobley

The Cavaliers had luck on their side in the lottery last month when they ended up with the third pick in the NBA Draft on July 29.

Now it is up to general manager Koby Altman to not dribble the ball off his foot and have it go out of bounds. He should select 7-foot center/forward Evan Mobley from USC after the Pistons (Cade Cunningham) and Rockets (Jalen Green) make their picks and then let J.B. Bickerstaff and the assistant coaches figure out the best way to use Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro in the front court.

The first round of the draft begins at 8 p.m. and will be televised on ABC and ESPN. The second round will be televised on ESPN only. Barring picking one up in a trade, the Cavaliers do not have a second-round pick.

Mobley is the overwhelming choice for the Cavaliers in mock drafts on numerous websites.

Here is what The Ringer has to say about Mobley in its NBA Draft Guide:

“Mobley has a chance to be a generational big man at 7-foot,, 215 pounds and a 7-foot-4 wingspan … Huge potential as a twoway talent with elite defensive ability to both lock down smaller players on switches on the perimeter as well as his natural rim-protection ability with long arms and tremendous leaping ability.

“Shuffles his feet with the best of them to stay in front of his man in face ups and post-ups … Run jump athleticism puts him in rare company. Runs the floor like a deer, and has explosive leaping for first as well as second and third jumps … Phenomenal rebounder with his length and size… Versatile offensive player who can already attack from the perimeter and additionally score at all three levels … Jumper already looks smooth and he has the touch to catch and release from many areas.”

So what’s not to like? Well, apparently there is something. There always is.

“The biggest hurdle for Evan Mobley is himself,” The Ringer scouting report continues. “He can be as good as he wants to be, but the big question is, how badly does he want to be great?

”His body language and energy level raises red flags for some … His lack of bulk is the main cause for concern in terms of physical attributes … He is just 215 pounds and could use another 20-25 pounds to really bang in the post and not get overpowered by NBA bigs around the basket … Added weight would likely open up a world of opportunities for Evan as he could become the bully instead of the bullied.”

According to Tankathon.com, the Cavaliers’ best lottery odds were to end up with the seventh pick — 25.5 percent compared to just 11.2 percent chance of getting the third pick.

The Raptors (picking fourth) and Magic (picking fifth) have reportedly called Altman about trading up because they crave Mobley. But unless either team is willing to overpay — say, their first pick in 2021, 2023 and 2025 (teams cannot trade firstround picks in consecutive years) — Altman should use about 20 seconds of his allotted five minutes, select Mobley, and then get back to the bigger task of trying to trade Kevin Love.

JEFF ROBERSON — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS USC’s Evan Mobley grabs a rebound in front of Oregon’s Chris Duarte during a March 28 NCAA tournament game in Indianapolis.