The Cavaliers spent their offseason trying to get bigger and more athletic on the wing, but that upgrade has created a different kind of question in the backcourt: who handles the minutes behind the starting point guard?
Peyton Watson and Mario Hezonja are set to deepen the small forward and power forward spots, leaving Cleveland with a much fuller wing group than it had before. The more unsettled area is the backup point guard job, where Craig Porter Jr., Tyrese Proctor, and Meleek Thomas are all in the mix.
Preseason offered a small look at what each player can bring, though it didn’t exactly reveal how Head Coach Kenny Atkinson wants to sort out the rotation. Even so, one thing seems clear: the second unit may still need someone who can create his own shot.
That is where Thomas enters the conversation.
The rookie guard is raw, but he stands out as the best self-creator among Cleveland’s bench options right now. He may not have looked as efficient as he did in summer league, but his ability to generate offense on his own is a trait the other contenders don’t really match. That could be enough to get him real playing time in his first season.
Meleek Thomas tonight:16 Points3 Rebounds1 Steal6/9 FG2/3 3PT2/2 FT pic.twitter.com/TPIb4YeMov
Over his three preseason games, Thomas averaged 10.3 points and had only 46.2% of his field goals assisted. Among Cavaliers players in that stretch, only Donovan Mitchell at 85.7% and James Harden at 80.0% created more of their own offense.
By comparison, Proctor was at 20.0% and Porter Jr. checked in at 0.0%, which lines up with the idea that Cleveland still lacks a reliable bucket-getter for the second unit. It’s a tiny sample, but it points to a real opening.
Porter Jr. looks like the better passer. Proctor appears to be the steadier off-ball shooter and probably the stronger defender. Thomas, though, brings a natural scoring instinct that could outweigh some of his current shortcomings if he holds up in the other areas.
If he can keep the offense moving, work alongside other high-usage guards without getting in the way, and hold his own defensively, he has a legitimate shot to earn meaningful rotation minutes as a rookie.
For now, the safest bet is that Cleveland starts with Porter Jr. in the role. What happens next may come down to how well Porter performs as a shot-maker. If that piece isn’t there, Thomas could see his opening sooner than expected, even with his value as a facilitator.
In Other News...
Jarrett Allen Just Put Clevelands Biggest Lineup Question In Focus
Jarrett Allens remarks this week landed in a familiar place for the Cavaliers, where the conversation has long circled back to lineup continuity and how much time the core actually gets to work together. Allen said he and several key teammates barely shared the floor last season, a reality that made it harder for Cleveland to build the kind of rhythm it wants heading into another push in the East.
The encouraging part for the Cavs is that Allen sounded confident the group can be sharper with a steadier run together this year, especially if the roster gets the kind of uninterrupted stretch it lacked before. For a team that has spent plenty of time trying to answer how its best pieces fit in high-leverage moments, that kind of continuity may end up mattering as much as anything else. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylon Tyson Is Forcing A New Coaching Challenge For The Cavs
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The coaching challenge now is less about talent than tone. Atkinson said Tyson responds best to positive coaching, which is a useful note for a young player trying to carve out his place on a veteran-minded team, especially with Cleveland holding a team option on him for the 2027-28 season that must be decided by Oct. 31. For a player still trying to secure his long-term standing, the next stretch could say a lot about how the Cavs plan to handle him moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Jarrett Allen Just Gave Cavs Fans Another Reason To Love Him
Jarrett Allen has long fit Clevelands vibe, and his latest appearance only reinforced it. On a Sunday before the Browns hosted the Ravens, Allen was out in the Muni Lot playing beer die with fans at a tailgate event, a relaxed bit of hometown mixing that always seems to land well with the citys sports crowd. It also came at a time when the big man is settling into his sixth full season with the Cavaliers, with his status as one of the teams more recognizable faces only growing over time.
For Cavs fans, the timing makes the moment even more notable. Cleveland is closing in on its regular-season opener against the 76ers, and Allen has already been part of recent preseason action as the team gets ready to start the year. The connection with the city has never really felt forced, and scenes like this are part of why he continues to be such an easy player for the fan base to embrace. [Read more 🡒]