Cuttino Mobley

Mobley has settled into his role on the Clippers as a secondary scorer that shoots primarily from the perimeter and helps out with the ball-handling/passing when the point guard needs it. He doesn’t have a lot of upside, but he’s consistent with his mid-teens scoring and solid treys/steal output. And with Elton Brand now out with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Mobley could conceivably help pick up the scoring slack a bit this season.

Mobley has always been a natural scorer that also has some playmaking ability, and he showed last season that when he gets minutes he is still capable of producing with averages of 14.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 spg, and 1.1 three-pointers per game in a starting role for the Clippers. Unfortunately, the Clippers have developed a bit of a logjam on the perimeter now that Corey Maggette is healthy, 6-7 guard-of-the-future Shaun Livingston is entering his third season out of high school and Sam Cassell is signed to a new two-year extension. This could cut into Mobley’s minutes and shots this season, which is a concern considering that scoring is the only area in which he is potentially a difference-maker. He’s still worth drafting, but his days scoring in the high-teens with two threes per game may be over.

Mobley is a natural scorer, primarily from long range. This offseason, he signed with the Clippers, who had a big need for 3-point shooting. As such, Mobley has a good chance to continue his 2-plus treys/game pace that he’s been on for the last couple seasons. Unfortunately, Mobley is also the type that likes to have the ball in his hands a lot to try to capitalize on his combo guard skills (as a rookie Mobley played some PG for the Rockets). Mobley will not be able to hold the ball very much on a Clippers team that now features Corey Maggette, Elton Brand Sam Cassell, and second-year phenom Shawn Livingston. As a result, he could see a slight decrease in his assists (3.4 per for the Kings last season), shot attempts and scoring (14.8 shots, 17.8 points per for the Kings).

Not that Mobley was a bad option while playing with the Rockets, but the offseason trade sending him to the Magic will do wonders for his fantasy value. An increase in shot attempts can only mean more three-pointers and points for Mobley. Plus, getting away from Jeff Van Gundy’s slow-down offensive strategy can only be good. However, things could get ugly down in Orlando if No. 1 pick Dwight Howard doesn’t contribute right off the bat, so motivation could be an issue as the season winds down. Also, Mobley isn’t much of a complete player, as his rebounds and assists are lacking. Still, an improvement this season in what Mobley does best – threes, points and steals – makes him a sensible sixth or seventh round pick.

Mobley is a streaky scorer who can launch bad shots at times, but all things considered he isn't a big FG percentage liability for a guard, hitting at a 43.4 percent clip for his career. While Mobley's minutes -- he averaged a whopping 42 per game over the last two seasons -- will likely go down down, he should still be good for 17 points, 3.5 rebounds and a steal and a half. As a shooting guard, he won't rack up assists, but is a career 83% FT shooter, and he'll hit at least 100 threes.