The Cavs’ Evan Mobley is getting high praise from his Eastern Conference rivals

After being selected back-to-back in the 2021 NBA Draft. Evan Mobleywho went third on Cleveland Cavaliersand Scottie Barneswho went fourth on Toronto Raptors, they will always be connected. In their rookie seasons, Mobley and Barnes were neck and neck for Rookie of the Year, with The Raptors eventually advance by knocking out the Cavs big man. The race for the prize only fueled the rivalry between the players; it’s must-see TV whenever they meet.

“It’s always fun to go against another competitor,” Mobley said of facing Barnes earlier in the season. “He’s a great player.”

When going against Barnes, Mobley averaged 16.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Meanwhile, Barnes averaged 16.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists when going shot-for-shot against the Cavs big man.

While Barnes has secured individual honors such as Rookie of the Year over Mobley, he also has NBA All-Star honors, something Mobley is waiting to achieve. However, Mobley has first-team all-defensive honors, and, more importantly, his Cavs have an 8-4 record against the Raptors and their draft class rival.

However, as time passed, the rivalry grew into mutual respect. Of course, every time both players meet, it will still be a battle. However, as Barnes and The Mobles look at each other it’s not from a place of animosity. Instead, after four years in the league, both are studying each other and leading a revolution as power forwards.

Cavs star Evan Mobley and Raptors forward Scotty Barnes are setting the NBA standard

In their short time in the NBA, Mobley and Barnes have become the template for the modern do-it-all big man. With their ability to defend multiple positions, handle the basketball, shoot from the perimeter and still do the big things every day, every team wants a player like Mobley or Barnes.

“He’s great,” Barnes said of Mobley. “He’s really talented offensively.” He has the handles for his size, he can dribble and he can shoot the ball. He does a lot of things really well for his size. That just makes it super special.”

Unfortunately, for those NBA teams, the availability of players who truly deserve the moniker unicorn is few and far between. Aside from Mobley and Barnes, a compelling case can be made for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama or Boston’s Jayson Tatum.

Otherwise, the NBA is waiting to see who is next. But given how young Mobley and Barnes are, they could be torchbearers who move at their own pace. But given how special each player is, any forward eventually becomes the face of the league, which will happen sooner or later.

“I usually see the future well,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “I think Scottie, in this league, he’s going to … average a double-double. And I can see Scotty, a couple of years from now … averaging (a) triple-double in this league.”

But until either striker gets to that point, they will continue to deal with the 2024-25 campaign. Mobley and the Cavs are the best teams in the NBA, while Barnes and the Raptors are the players of the Eastern Conference.

Hopefully Barnes and Toronto can turn it around because an eventual playoff series against Mobley and Cleveland would be legendary. While it wouldn’t be another chapter in their now dead rivalry, it would be the start of a new saga where both can finally stake their claim on the future of the NBA.