CLEVELAND — Meleek Thomas has not played a regular-season NBA game yet, but he has already managed to get the attention of some people in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers selected Thomas with the 34th overall pick in June after one season at Arkansas, where he averaged 15.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range. He then carried that production into Summer League, averaging 27.3 points per game and earning First Team honors.
That was enough to make Thomas one of the more interesting young players entering training camp. What has followed may be even more encouraging.
Donovan Mitchell used media day to praise Thomas’ confidence, competitiveness, and mentality, even comparing some of the rookie’s personality to his own. Nae’Qwan Tomlin also pointed to Thomas’ toughness and willingness to defend, an important detail for a young guard trying to earn minutes on a team with championship expectations. Not to mention the respect of his teammates.
Thomas’ offensive skill set is easy to see. He can score at all three levels, create his own shot, and play both on and off the ball. At Arkansas, he proved he could play both on and off the ball, which should help him fit next to established players such as Mitchell and James Harden.
The question is how quickly Cleveland can find minutes for him.
The Cavaliers do not need Thomas to carry a major role immediately, but the current bench rotation could give him an opportunity to earn playing time sooner than expected. They reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season and return with a veteran core built to contend immediately. That gives Thomas some breathing room to develop without being asked to carry a heavy load.
At the same time, his Summer League performance and early work around the team make him difficult to ignore. Cleveland has several young players fighting for rotation spots, and Thomas may already be making the strongest case of the group.
For a team focused heavily on winning now, Thomas represents something slightly different.
He might also be part of what comes next.
