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Mobley All NBA Defense First Team
CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 10: Lauri Markkanen #24 Isaac Okoro #35 Jarrett Allen #31 Evan Mobley #4 and Kevin Pangos #6 of the Cleveland Cavaliers celebrate during the third quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 10, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 102-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Cavs forward Evan Mobley has been selected to the All NBA Defense First Team for the 2022-23 season.

It is the first such honor for the second year pro out of  USC who was the third overall pick by Cleveland in the 2021 NBA draft.

The 6’11 forward finished third in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year this season.

Mobley anchored one of the top defenses in the NBA this year and helped lead the Cavaliers to a 51-31 record and the number 4 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The rest of the 2022-23 All NBA Defense First Team included:

Forward – Jaren Jackson – Memphis

Center – Book Lopez – Milwaukee

Guard – Jrue Holiday – Milwaukee

Guard – Alex Caruso – Chicago

(official Cavs release)

CAVALIERS’ EVAN MOBLEY NAMED TO

KIA NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM

BECOMES THIRD PLAYER IN FRANCHISE HISTORY AND SECOND-YOUNGEST NBA PLAYER EVER TO EARN FIRST TEAM HONORS;

RANKED FIRST IN DEFENSIVE WIN SHARES WHILE LEADING THE CAVS TO THE NO. 1 RANKED DEFENSE IN THE NBA

CLEVELAND – The NBA announced today that Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley has been named to the 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team. Mobley becomes just the seventh player in Cavaliers history to earn Defensive Team honors, joining Jim Brewer (Second Team in 1975-76 and 1976-77), Jim Cleamons (Second Team in 1975-76), Larry Nance Sr. (First Team in 1988-89 and Second Team in 1991-92 and 1992-93), Bobby Phills (Second Team in 1995-96), LeBron James (First Team in 2008-09 and 2009-10) and Anderson Varejao (Second Team in 2009-10), and is the first to do so since 2009-10. Mobley (21 years, 295 days at end of season) also becomes the second-youngest player in NBA history to be named to an All-Defensive First Team, behind only Kobe Bryant (21 years, 71 days at end of 1999-00 season), and is the third Cavalier ever to make the First Team (Nance, James). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last NBA player to make an All-Defensive Team in his first or second season was Tim Duncan in 1998-99 (his second season) and the last to make a First Team honor in his first or second campaign was Don Buse in 1976-77 (his first season).

Mobley (7-0, 215) played in a team-best 79 games (all starts) this past regular season and averaged career highs in points (16.2), rebounds (9.0), assists (2.8), minutes (34.4) and field goal percentage (.554, 17th-best in NBA), to go along with 1.51 blocks (ninth-best in NBA) and 0.76 steals. He ranked first in the league in defensive win shares (4.8), tied for first in contested three-pointers per game (3.6) and fourth in the NBA in total contested shots per game (11.4). Additionally, he recorded at least one block in 59 games (fourth-most in NBA) and his 119 total blocks were the sixth-most in the NBA. Mobley also helped the Cavaliers rank No. 1 in defensive rating (109.9) and No. 1 in opponent points per game (106.9). Cleveland held teams to under 100 points in an NBA-best 24 games, with no other team having more than 17 such games (next closest was Boston with 16).

Mobley registered a career-high 24 double-doubles and was one of only three NBA players this season averaging at least 15.0 points on .500 shooting or better, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks (Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis). In a win over Milwaukee on Jan. 21, he became just the fourth NBA player since three-pointers were adopted in 1979 to score at least 38 points without a single free throw or three-pointer made, joining Hakeem Olajuwon  (1/30/97 vs. DEN), Alex English (12/6/88 at NYK and 3/3/84 vs. UTA) and George Gervin (1/25/85 vs. SAS). Additionally, Mobley was one of only three players in Cavaliers history to record eight blocks or more in a single game (Larry Nance, John ‘Hot Rod’ Williams), accomplishing that feat on Nov. 4 at Detroit, and finished the season with at least four blocks on eight occasions.

The No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection following the 2021-22 season, Mobley owns career averages of 15.6 points on .533 shooting from the field, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.58 blocks in 34.1 minutes over 148 games (all starts) in two NBA seasons with Cleveland. His field goal percentage of .533 ranks third in franchise history for players with a minimum of 500 field goals made. Mobley is also the only player in Cavaliers history to accumulate at least 1,400 points on .500 shooting, 800 rebounds, 200 assists and 150 blocks in their first 100 career games.