Meleek Thomas looked like the best player on the floor in his first Summer League game with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were elated when they had the chance to select Meleek Thomas in the second round. He was someone the organization considered drafting even before they traded out of the first round.
Thomas made his Cavaliers Summer League debut on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas and showed everyone why Cleveland is so high on him, as the 19-year-old put up an impressive performance.
Even though the Cavaliers fell 99-93 to the Indiana Pacers, Thomas was easily a big standout from this one Summer League game.
Thomas made his presence felt most through his scoring. The guard scored a team-high 20 points in 27 minutes. He shot an efficient 7-for-15 from the floor and 2-for-5 from behind the arc.
The bulk of this scoring actually came in the final minutes of the game. He scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers were trying to put the Pacers away late. Thomas showed he can not only play but also elevate his game in crunch time, a skill that can’t be taught.
Looking at how the rookie scored, he showed no fear, continued attacking the glass, and blew by his defenders on multiple occasions.
That goes back to Thomas’ conference, where Koby Altman talked about how the team loves Thomas’ confidence, and that showed up in his first game with the organization.
Something that should have really excited the Cavaliers was Thomas’ five rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end.
Kenny Atkinson routinely stresses winning the possession game, which starts with rebounding. If Thomas, at six foot three, is willing to crash the glass and create more scoring opportunities, he could find himself on that part of his game during his rookie season.
Thomas isn’t a finished product, and the Cavaliers realize this. Still, Thomas looked like one of the best players on the floor, which is a great sign.
The next time Thomas takes the floor with Cleveland’s Summer League team will be on Sunday at 4:00 PM EST, as the 19-year-old looks to build on an already impressive start to his Cavaliers career.
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