Evan Mobley does not get a vote to determine who should be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. If he did, he knows without hesitation what name would be first on his ballot. “I feel like the way I’ve been playing definitely deserves Defensive Player of the Year,” Mobley said in the Cavalie rs’ locker room on March 30 after the Cavs beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 127-122 at Rocket Arena. “I just go out there and play my brand of basketball. Try not to talk too much. It starts with my guys who always support me. Defense wins championships.” Related Articles Mitchell scores 27 points as Cavaliers rally past New York for 61st victory, 124-105 PHOTOS: Cavaliers vs. Knicks, April, 2, 2025 Donovan Mitchell plays best game of season to seal Cavaliers’ 60th win | Jeff Schudel Cavaliers earn 60th victory with 127-122 triumph over Clippers Pistons beat East-leading Cavaliers, 133-122, lock down first winning season since 2016 Some context is needed here. Mobley did not volunteer his opinion. He was asked about possibly being named DPOY because his teammates have said he deserves it. And then when he was asked in the locker room about what they said, those same teammates razzed him as he was answering the question. Donovan Mitchell and Tristan Thompson were the leading the ribbing. It is just one more example of how tight this Cavaliers team is. The Cavs seemed in a daze at the defensive end of the floor April 2 in their game with the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mobley was one of the no-shows as the Knicks built a 58-43 lead with 3:58 left in the second quarter. But the Cavs awakened to shut the door, take a 91-85 lead after three quarters and finish the job in the fourth quarter for a 124-103 final and their 61st victory of the season. “(The Knicks) were getting what they wanted,” Coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Our physicality wasn’t up to par. We made it a point at halftime. We didn’t throw any water bottles, but we made it a point to pick up our physicality.” The #Cavaliers trailed the #Knick, 58-43, with less than four minutes left in the second quarter April 2. They put the clamps on in the second half to win, 124- 105 to improve to 61-15. pic.twitter.com/DlGqSpKbOA — Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) April 3, 2025 The Celtics lost at home to the Miami Heat, 124-105, on April 2, so now the Cavs lead  Boston by five games in the Eastern Conference. With six games left in the regular season, the Cavs’ magic number for clinching the East — and homecourt advantage throughout the conference playoffs — is two. Mobley was part of the defensive turnaround April 2. The Knicks shot 59.5 percent from the floor in the first half, including 10 of 21 from behind the arc. They were 15 of 48 and 1-of-15 on 3s in the second half. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors is rated as the favorite to be named DPOY, according to Data Skrive. Mobley has the second-best odds. “The No. 1 case for Evan being Defensive Player of the Year are his on-off numbers,” Atkinson said. “How good we are defensively with him on the court and off the court. It’s a huge dip, like 12 places. That screams to me the No. 1 stat I look at. “This league is about winning. We have the best record in the East and the second-best record in the league. He’s our defensive anchor. I think that means something.” The difference isn’t quite 12 places, but it is significant. When Mobley is on the court, the Cavs’ defensive rating of 108.3 is second in the NBA. When Mobley is resting on the bench the defensive rating slips to 111.9, which ranks eighth. The Cavs were plus-24 for the 15 minutes Mobley was on the floor for the second half against the Knicks. He scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the game. ...read more read less