When the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted Meleek Thomas in the second round, many were confused as to why the organization took another guard in the draft.
However, Thomas was expected to be a first-round pick, and when a first-round talent falls to the second round, you have to take that chance every time.
Thomas had a lot to prove in summer league and Cleveland put a lot on his plate in terms of ball handling and scoring duties. He answered the call in a big way and it may have changed his outlook for the Cavs this season.
Thomas’ huge summer league performance could earn him minutes right away for Cleveland
Thomas was a scoring machine in Vegas, as he had at least 20 points in every game, including two 30-point performances. He looked comfortable looking for his shot and showed the right amount of aggression. He displayed his improving slashing game, getting to the cup for some crafty finishes and a couple of nice dunks.
He was efficient, shooting 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from three-point range. The shooting came as no surprise, as that was a strength of Thomas’ in college and that continued this summer.
All of this led to the young guard leading the summer league in points per game with 27. While all of that is great, the one thing that stood out about Thomas was his low turnover numbers. He only had six turnovers in four games and looked very comfortable in the point guard spot, a position that the Cavs wanted to see him in.
The one thing that young guards struggle with, especially in summer league, is turnovers. The environment is much more physical and it leads to more giveaways. The fact that Thomas was so strong with the ball is encouraging and it could lead to him getting minutes in year one.
Kenny Atkinson is always talking about keeping turnovers down with his ball handlers and Thomas fits that bill. It was a strength the guard had in college as well.
Overall, Vegas was a very strong showing for the second round pick. He came in with a chip on his shoulder because of his draft fall. Now he has the rest of the summer to prepare for his rookie season and if he continues the momentum into training camp and preseason, he could become a rotation fixture very quickly.
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