ORLANDO, Fla. — Preseason in the NBA is an odd time in sports.
Wins and losses don’t matter. Championship contenders sometimes go winless. Teams experiment with different lineups, often resulting in some odd combinations on the court. All the while, players just want to escape healthy and without injury.
When the Cleveland Cavaliers took the court for their preseason finale on Friday, the matchup against the Orlando Magic seemed much more than a meaningless exhibition game.
It may not have seemed that way from the outside looking in, though.
All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen didn’t travel with the team to get more rest ahead of the season opener Wednesday in Toronto.
Several others, including Kevin Love, were also absent.
While much of the starting lineup was winding down the preseason, Rookie of the Year runner-up Evan Mobley was just ramping up. He missed the first three games of the preseason due to a sprained ankle and was finally cleared to play on Friday.
Not wanting to run Mobley too hard, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff gave him just enough playing time to knock off some rust and get some minutes on the court. He responded by scoring eight points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 16 minutes.
Mobley looked to pick up where he left off last season.
He got involved early and flourished against the frontline of the Magic, from finishing through contact to drawing fouls. He would get to the free-throw line six times in the first quarter, further proving he is healthy and ready to go.
“I thought he looked comfortable,” Bickerstaff said.
With the team seeing everything it needed to from its franchise cornerstone, the final tune-up game also gave observers a wholesome moment between Mobley and his older brother, Isaiah: Their first NBA game together.
The Cavaliers drafted Isaiah 49th out of USC this year in the NBA draft. He signed a two-way contract with the team after a strong junior year with the Trojans, in which he was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and honorable mention All-Defensive team.
Because Evan made his preseason debut, it was the first opportunity for the two brothers to share the court together in the NBA and Bickerstaff wasted no time getting them in the game. With 4:37 left in the first quarter, Evan and Isaiah checked in.
“It was a little weird hearing our names at the same time,” Evan said.
They played together during the 2020-21 season when Evan was a freshman. Evan was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year, while Isaiah had a tremendous run in the NCAA Tournament to help the Trojans reach the Elite Eight.
But, playing in the NBA together is different.
“It was super cool,” Isaiah told Rookie Wire. “Being able to play with my brother on the same team and get some action together, it was super cool. Hopefully, we’ll get some more opportunities to do that.”
Evan and Isaiah each entered their names in the NBA draft last year. Evan stayed in and eventually became the third pick by the Cavaliers. He narrowly lost out on Rookie of the Year to Scottie Barnes while Isaiah returned to school for one more year.
Isaiah worked tirelessly last year on his game, and that resulted in hearing his name called in the second round. He had a good run with the Cavaliers in the Las Vegas Summer League and performed well during his limited time this preseason.
He produced eight points, three rebounds and three assists in a preseason-high 20 minutes of work on Friday in the 114-108 loss to the Magic. He finished by shooting 4-of-6 from the field for his best outing.
Evan can see the improvement Isaiah made.
He definitely improved on his shooting. He was really working on that all summer and the past year that he went back. Also, just improving his body and getting in better shape. I feel like that is what he has really been working on all summer.
Brothers playing on the same team isn’t necessarily a new concept. In fact, the Mobleys were on the court on Friday at the same time as Franz and Moe Wagner. Having Evan on the team with a year under his belt will certainly help Isaiah.
Evan has plenty of advice to offer Isaiah.
“Just come in, be comfortable and be like a sponge and soak it all in,” Evan said. “It is definitely a lot to learn in the first year always. You’re going to make some rookie mistakes but just stay focused and stay solid and it is going to be all good.”
Said Isaiah of Evan:
“He has been great but the whole team (has been great), as well. From Donovan Mitchell all the way down. The guys have been helping me a lot — being in the right spots, what to do, what not to do.”
The upcoming year will likely look drastically different for both players.
The team has high expectations for Evan after a tremendous rookie campaign last year. He helped anchor a defense that ranked fifth in the NBA. On the other side, Isaiah will spend some of the season in the NBA G League and largely be in a developmental role.
In other words, opportunities for the two brothers to share the court may be few and far between. Their parents were on hand to watch them on Friday and the team, as a whole, was excited to share that moment.
“It is, obviously, special to have the opportunity to play (together) in the NBA, it doesn’t happen often,” Bickerstaff said. “As a family, understanding their character and how special their bond is, it makes even that much more fun to be a part of and be present in that moment.”
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