LWIC: Evan Mobley shines bright in Jarrett Allen's absence
The Cavs took a jump to become the league's best defense this week while Jarrett Allen was sidelined. This came just a week after another Jarrett Allen injury stint that saw Cleveland drop five-straight games and fall to 17th in DRtg during that period. This time, the Cavs went 3-2 instead of 0-5, a solid improvement for an undermanned unit. The two losses came against Toronto on a road back-to-back without key players after needing all 48 minutes to knock off Detroit the night before. And, well, the second loss was very warranted against the Knicks. They didn't play well. However, it wasn't because of defense, which was the reason for pretty much all of the five-game losing streak. So, what's the difference this time around? The answer is simple: Evan Mobley. And it's not just on defense. Evan Mobley has been shining all up and down the floor. Before that abhorrent Knicks game that we all had to lay our eyes upon, Mobley was averaging 18.3 points and 12.3 boards....
