The Cleveland Cavaliers’ inconsistency this season has been surprising, especially considering they finished No. 1 in the East last year. They lost to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals, and many felt that 2025–26 would be the year they made a major postseason push. Instead, they are currently flirting with play-in positions, and pundits like Kendrick Perkins want to see improvement fast.
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At the midway point of the season, the Cavs are 24-20 and currently hold the seventh spot in the conference. The six teams above them are only a game or two ahead, but it still highlights the decline. There have also been instances, such as Cleveland blowing a 20-point fourth-quarter lead to the Knicks on Christmas Day, that prove there is still a significant hill for the franchise to climb if they hope to win a championship again.
If they hope to get back on track, then Evan Mobley is a key piece. That is, at least, according to Perkins, who thinks that the 24-year-old DPOY has the potential to be the league’s next Kevin Garnett. That is of course, if he had the heart of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“When he is going to be powerful and stop being popular? Right? You take Giannis heart and Giannis motor, and you give it to Evan Mobley, dammit, we got Kevin Garnett. That’s what they need consistently,” said Perkins.
Perkins’ buzzworthy clips go viral largely because he is quite good at delivering them. But he is also not entirely wrong. Mobley has been instrumental in the Cavs’ improvement as a team over the past couple of seasons, and he will be extremely important if they are to get over the hump.
Kendrick Perkins on Evan Mobley
“When is he going to be powerful, and stop being popular? He’s the most important player on their team if they want to win a championship” pic.twitter.com/hdYl6G4Uh2
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) January 22, 2026
The Cavs may very well have been Eastern Conference champions had they not run into a Pacers team that seemed to have everything clicking. Big Perk thinks so too, as he ended his rant by calling Mobley the most important piece in the Cavaliers’ puzzle.
“He’s the most important player on their team if they’re trying to go to go to the NBA Finals and win a championship,” Perkins added.
While Donovan Mitchell would probably hold that title, Perkins’ point still stands. Evan cannot just ride the coattails of his campaign from last season. He needs to consistently bring that perimeter defensive presence, that aggressive edge on the boards, and blend it with a version of himself that can contribute as a scorer.
That is really what this comes down to. The Cavs do not need Mobley to suddenly become Giannis or KG overnight, but they do need him to stop floating in and out of games. Cleveland’s margin for error in the East is essentially gone, and potential does not scare anyone in May.
If Mobley embraces being the tone-setter every night, the player who makes life uncomfortable on defense and forces the issue offensively, Cleveland can still flip this season on its head. If not, they are probably just another talented team left wondering why it never quite clicked when it mattered most.
