With fanfare, former USC star Evan Mobley visits L.A.

LOS ANGELES — The Cleveland Cavaliers had a bully thought however peculiar a subordinate they were getting erstwhile they drafted erstwhile USC standout Evan Mobley No. 3 overall this summer, and past rebuffed a bid of commercialized offers from envious suitors.

Still, to perceive Coach J.B. Bickerstaff archer it, the skilled 7-footer who helped pb the Trojans to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament past outpouring is exceeding those already lofty expectations conscionable 4 games into his pro career.

“I deliberation he’s more,” Bickerstaff said earlier tip-off Wednesday, erstwhile helium was expecting plentifulness of interference from the Clippers astatine Staples Center, wherever the Cavs volition look the Lakers connected Friday to reason Mobley’s archetypal plaything done L.A. arsenic a pro.

“Obviously, you survey a ton and ticker a clump of movie of him successful college, but until you get to cognize him and you’re astir him each day, that’s erstwhile you truly get to cognize who these guys are,” Bickerstaff added. “You could spot that helium was an intelligent hoops player, but erstwhile you’re astir him each day, you spot however rapidly helium picks things up.”

The San Diego autochthonal and erstwhile Temecula Rancho Christian High standout was the franchise’s highest enactment since 2014, erstwhile they took Kansas merchandise Andrew Wiggins No. 1 and past dealt him to Minnesota for Kevin Love, the erstwhile UCLA prima who Mobley has instantly supplanted successful the Cavaliers’ gargantuan starting lineup.

Bickerstaff’s starting 5 features Mobley alongside Jarrett Allen (6-10) and Lauri Markkanen (6-11).

The throwback strategy didn’t fuss the seasoned Love astatine all, helium said, telling cleveland.com that Moseley is “going to beryllium a feline who’s going to get a double-double each night. … He’s going to marque a fig of All-Defensive teams successful his career. He’s conscionable getting started.”

That commencement frankincense far: Through his 4 NBA games entering Wednesday, the 20-year-old Mobley was averaging 14.3 points connected 55.0% shooting, 8.3 rebounds. 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.0 blocked shots.

The connection is retired connected the Cavs’ progressive young talent, Clippers manager Tyronn Lue said: “He’s a bully shot-blocker, moves his feet well, precise talented and skilled and he’s connected the perimeter arsenic well.”

And, again, he’s conscionable travel retired of the blocks, his Cleveland colleagues say.

“I mean, Evan and I tin person 1 speech astir thing that happened a crippled ago, and past you’ll spot it successful the adjacent game, he’s figured it out,” Bickerstaff said. “He’s got a quiescent temperament, and connected film, it whitethorn look 1 way, but helium is highly competitive. Like, helium hates to lose.

“We would bash drills successful the summer; if helium didn’t get the drill, helium would bash it implicit and implicit and implicit again until helium got it done right. So he’s got a occurrence that burns, that connected TV you mightiness not beryllium capable to see, but erstwhile you’re astir him each time and you spot those things, like, you tin consciousness the occurrence that’s burning wrong of him to beryllium great.”

FIRST BUCKET

The Clippers person a motivated rookie successful their midst arsenic well, and though Brandon Boston Jr. isn’t adjacent to cracking the starting lineup yet, helium was astatine the halfway of the Clippers’ solemnisation pursuing their archetypal triumph Monday.

The 19-year-old erstwhile Sierra Canyon High prima made his NBA debut successful the Clippers’ blowout of Portland connected Monday, playing 9 minutes precocious successful the Clippers’ 116-18 victory. He finished with his archetypal authoritative handbasket – going 1 for 3 from the tract and 1 for 2 from the free-throw enactment – and with the crippled ball.

“He was precise excited,” Lue said. “He ever wants to beryllium connected the floor, helium ever wants to play, and I deliberation astatine shootaround that time helium said, ‘Coach, conscionable springiness maine a chance, get maine retired there!’ And I said you’ll get your opportunity.”

.@bboston_ gets his archetypal NBA bucket and goes location with the crippled ball. 👏 pic.twitter.com/K1CvO6bVU4

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) October 26, 2021

“The guys are blessed for him to people his archetypal handbasket and get his archetypal points successful the NBA and he’s going to beryllium a bully subordinate successful this league for a agelong time.”