Meleek Thomas hasn’t played a regular-season game for the Cavaliers yet, but he already sounds like the kind of rookie who can force his way into the conversation. Cleveland’s veterans were full of praise for the second-round pick on media day, and Donovan Mitchell set the tone with one of the strongest endorsements possible.
“That kid’s a dog,” said Donovan Mitchell. “He is who he thinks he is - he reminds me of myself.”
Mitchell has never been shy about backing younger players, and he’s done that before with Jaylon Tyson last season. Still, this kind of praise for a rookie stands out.
It also tracks with what Thomas has shown since arriving in Cleveland. He made noise in Summer League with his three-level scoring and playmaking, and that impression hasn’t faded in workouts or team practices.
“Ever since I first saw him, you see it in Summer League, then you have the camp, and I’m like, this dude is still going,” said Mitchell.
Thomas brings confidence, but it isn’t empty noise. He carries himself like someone who believes he should have gone in the first round, yet the effort backs up the attitude. That balance has clearly caught the attention of his teammates.
“He thinks that guy, but he is that guy,” said Nae’Qwan Tomlin. “He can really shoot the ball, he can play make, and he’s a dog too - he’s gritty, he likes to play defense.”
The Cavaliers don’t need Thomas to be a major piece right away, and nobody should be demanding that from him. He’s joining a team that just reached the Eastern Conference Finals, so patience makes sense. But even for a group at that level, the amount of praise directed at a second-round rookie says plenty.
Mitchell said Thomas keeps asking questions and trying to absorb everything around him, from the players to the staff.
“Every day, he wants to learn; he asks so many questions,” said Mitchell. “He’ll ask myself, he’ll ask James, TB [Thomas Bryant], the coaches.
He’s the real deal, and I’m excited for him this year. ”
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