"He about to get fired before first episode" - NBA fans clown Tracy McGrady for touting Cavaliers' $269 million center as early MVP candidate

Former NBA player Tracy McGrady, now an analyst for NBC, talked about Cleveland Cavaliers star Evan Mobley’s sky-high potential on Thursday. McGrady predicted Mobley would enter MVP conversations if the reigning Defensive Player of the Year improves on offense. T-Mac thought that, as the Cavaliers could top the Eastern Conference again, the 6'11 forward had an outside shot at the award.

Fans reacted to Tracy McGrady’s take:

“TMac about to get fired before the first episode.”

One fan said:

Dr. Anjani Jain

@DrAnjaniJJ

@TheDunkCentral @NBAonNBC MVP?? 😂 He’s just a slightly more athletic version of Timofey Mozgov, let’s not get carried away.

Another fan added:

mikesauce

@mikesauce143

@TheDunkCentral @NBAonNBC I really want to know what Tracy McGrady is smoking on lately

One more fan continued:

Brendan Taz Cannon

@jazzwithtaz

@TheDunkCentral @NBAonNBC Evan Mobley is about as likely to win MVP this year as Tracy McGrady is

Another fan reacted:

DUFFY ♒️

@DuffyBag5

@TheDunkCentral @NBAonNBC TMac u gotta chill bro

Last season, Evan Mobley averaged a career-high 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 blocks per game. He earned his first All-Star selection, won the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award and placed 10th in MVP voting. According to Tracy McGrady, the key for Mobley is to improve his offense, a point shared by co-host Carmelo Anthony.

Mobley, who signed a five-year, $269 million deal in 2024, also averaged 37.0% from deep behind 3.2 shots per game. In his first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, he made 2 of 4 from that distance. Mobley’s developing stroke from behind 22 feet is another reason McGrady and his co-hosts thought an MVP contention is a possibility.

Taking a clear step up on offense based on how the Cavaliers operate could hinder Evan Mobley. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland get the majority of the shots, a trend unlikely to change due to coach Kenny Atkinson’s reliance on the two perimeter stars. Last season, Mitchell averaged 18.6 shots per game while Garland came in second with 15.7. Mobley was a distant third with 12.8 attempts per outing.

Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony thought Mobley must be featured more to gain attention in MVP talks. If Atkinson diversifies his attack by going to the lanky forward more, perhaps McGrady and Anthony could be proven right.

---

Tracy McGrady impressed with Evan Mobley's elite defense

Against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, Evan Mobley registered one block. While one swat seemed underwhelming for the reigning DPOY, Mobley’s impact went beyond that. He patrolled the paint and deterred the Bulls from consistently attacking the rim. Bulls guard saw his layup casually rejected by Mobley.

Although 6-foot-11, Mobley thrived on switches. In the rematch against the Bulls on Thursday, Dalen Terry squared off against Cleveland’s best defender behind the 3-point line. After faking a move to the right with a crossover, Terry aggressively attacked the paint. Mobley recovered to chase him down for a block.

While a leap in Mobley’s offense is in doubt, there is no denying that he remains one of the NBA’s best defenders. Tracy McGrady remained impressed with Mobley's defense.