The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the NBA. No matter who else might have a claim, their 129-122 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, Jan. 8 gave Cleveland both the best record in the Association at 32-4 and a definitive win over the No. 2 team in winning percentage.
At the heart of what the Cavaliers bring to the table is Evan Mobley, who has become one of the most versatile defenders in the NBA—a player cut from a similar cloth as Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.
Mobley, 23, earned All-Rookie First Team honors in 2021-22 and received All-Defensive First Team recognition in 2022-23. Standing at 6'11" with a 7'4" wingspan and the athletic gifts to both protect the paint and defend the perimeter, he's upside personified on both ends of the floor.
In 2024-25, Mobley is beginning to put it all together and emerge as a two-way player who can put the Cavaliers on his back.
One of the primary reasons Mobley has been able to make such steady progress has been the manner in which the Cavaliers have complemented him. They've put together a roster with multiple creators, an intriguing cast of floor-spacing wings, and an All-Star center.
By most means and measures, LeBron James' former team has created the perfect blueprint for his current squad to follow to properly complement Davis.
Cavaliers supporting Evan Mobley how Lakers should help Anthony Davis
Cleveland has a collection of talent that no team can simply luck into adding. It drafted Mobley and All-Star point guard Darius Garland, bought relatively low on All-Star center Jarrett Allen, and compiled enough assets to trade for All-NBA shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
Expecting the Lakers to achieve that same feat at an expedited pace with an already 31-year-old Davis would be unrealistic.
What Los Angeles can emulate, however, is the general roster structure that has come to benefit Mobley. That's no more true than on defense, where Davis and Mobley share the unique characteristic of being able to defend every corner of the floor.
It's a remarkable attribute that every team would love to see a big man possess, but Cleveland has embraced the need for an additional rim protector in a way that Los Angeles hasn't.
Davis and Mobley are both high-level interior defenders in their own right, but their respective roles on defense require them to cover considerable ground. Oftentimes, that means they'll be pulled away from the paint as they challenge an opposing team's top perimeter scorer or break up the pick and roll.
That inevitably leaves the Lakers shorthanded around the rim, thus resulting in their current ranks of No. 26 in second-chance points allowed and No. 28 in points allowed in the paint.
The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have Allen waiting in the paint to collect rebounds and meet scorers at the rim. His presence has not only enabled Cleveland to rank No. 8 in defensive rating, but Mobley to excel in his versatile role without the fear of a lack of support behind him.
Finding a player the caliber of Allen is far easier said than done, but the Lakers can at least get the ball rolling by adding a player who can alleviate pressure from Davis in the interim.