Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley has been named the 2024 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, making him the first plater in team history to earn the honor.
The 23-year-old, in his fourth season with the Cavaliers, was a cornerstone of a defense that carried Cleveland to a 64-18 regular-season record — second best in the N.B.A. — and the top spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Mobley received 285 points from the 100-member global media panel that voted, topping Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels (197 points) and Golden State’s Draymond Green (154 points).
The 7-footer Mobley put up impressive all-around numbers of 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Defensively, he was sixth in the league with 1.59 blocks per game, which was tied 13th in defensive rebounds (7.0) and 13th in contested shots at 10.4, overall.
Opponents made only 44.5% of their shots when Mobley was the closest defender — 3.2 percentage points lower than would have been expected — illustrating his elite rim protection and defensive IQ. With Mobley on the floor, Cleveland’s defensive rating was a mark that, at that pace, would have ranked second in the league.
His endeavors helped the Cavs rank eighth in defensive rating and third in opponent field goal percentage.
