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USC big man Evan Mobley declared for the NBA draft after a successful freshman year season, averaging

16.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 2.9 BPG on 57.8 FG%.

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Mobley, who is considered by many to be a sure-fire Top 3 pick, helped lead USC to an Elite 8

appearance in the NCAA tournament. Mobley is a 7’0 forward/center who brings rare athleticism and

defensive capabilities for his size.

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In this scouting report, we break down Mobley’s key strengths and improvement opportunities for the

upcoming NBA Draft.

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Strengths:

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1. Interior Defense

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Mobley is listed as 7’0 with a 7’4 wingspan and has the mobility and coordination of an ideal modern

NBA big. While Mobley averaging 2.9 blocks per game is clearly impressive, one of the additional stats

that stands out to me is that Mobley only averaged 1.8 fouls per game. Mobley played 33.4 MPG, and

considering how aggressive he was blocking shots during that volume of minutes, he proved to be an

effective interior defender that can also control his fouls.

In single covered post up situations, Mobley allowed just 0.625 PPP (points per possession) which

ranked in the 88 th percentile nationally. Mobley excels at using his length to contest and shows good

defensive instincts inside.

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2. Passing & Court Vision

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Mobley demonstrates impressive court vision for someone his size. Two promising stats to me are the

fact that he averaged 2.4 APG (solid for a college big) and that during pass out situations where the

defense commits (ISOs), he ranked in the 90 th percentile (1.412 PPP).

While one could mention those metrics (especially the second one) are highly dependent on USC’s

shooters hitting shots, the film at the very least demonstrates Mobley’s vision and IQ in those pass out

situations. Many big men lack that awareness and the combination of his size and skill will draw

attention, so his promising potential as a passer will play to his advantage.

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3. Offensive Ceiling

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Some of the areas that make Mobley’s game unique for his size as a seven-footer is how well he handles

the ball, his touch inside and having good hands. Many aspects of Mobley’s game will give you small

forward vibes in how fluid he is in the half court and transition. This is a bonus that will excite scouts as

it is rare to see someone of his size move as well as he does and also show those skills at age 19.

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Improvement Opportunities:

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1. Weight

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One of the major question marks around Mobley has been his frame and strength. Mobley is listed at

210 pounds, which is clearly pretty slender for someone of his height. This raises multiple concerns

around his ability to finish through contact, screening ability and defense against stronger big men when

he gets to the NBA.

 

While Mobley’s length and instincts can make up for his frame at times, I think this is something worth

monitoring. It will be interesting to see how effectively he is able to add weight in the pros. After all,

Anthony Davis drew similar concerns and was able to build the necessary strength to succeed.

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2. Pick and Pop Situations

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As the P&R roll man, Mobley ranked in the 65 th percentile with 1.089 PPP (in ‘very good’ rating

category). Additionally, he ranked in the 66 th percentile when rolling to the basket and the 75 th percentile

when slipping the pick. However, he was only in the 34 th percentile in pick and pop situations (0.789

PPP).

While Mobley showed an ability to stretch the floor and has promising upside shooting wise, this is an

area I think he could really capitalize on in the NBA if he really develops his shot more. Mobley should

get many open looks (as he did in college) after screening and popping. Ideally, he scores more

effectively in these situations going forward than he did in college and overcomes his inconsistent

shooting.

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3. Free Throws

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In his lone season at USC, Mobley show 69.4% from the free throw line. While this is by no means awful,

you would like this percentage to be higher in the future. Mobley was 7 th in the nation in free throw

attempts this past season.

When you consider the how frequently he got fouled last year (and likely will going forward), it will be

important for Mobley to improve his free throw shooting to a more consistent level in the NBA.

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Closing Thoughts:

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Mobley has all the tools to be a productive modern NBA big man. His size/length, defensive instincts and

fluidity on offense make me very bullish on him. I expect Mobley to go Top 3 in the draft and have a very

successful NBA career as his ceiling is very high.

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NBA Comparisons:

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Anthony Davis (very optimistic ceiling), Christian Wood (less optimistic ceiling), Jaren Jackson Jr. (floor)

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Reagan Freeman - 5/5/21

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