Meleek Thomas wasted no time making a case for why the Cavaliers were so eager to get him.
In his first Summer League game with Cleveland on Friday afternoon in Las Vegas, the 19-year-old looked like one of the best players on the floor, even in a 99-93 loss to the Indiana Pacers. The second-round pick had been on the Cavaliers’ radar well before they moved out of the first round, and his debut only reinforced why the organization valued him so highly.
Thomas led Cleveland with 20 points in 27 minutes, finishing 7-for-15 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range. He did much of his damage late, scoring 12 of those points in the fourth quarter as the Cavaliers tried to pull away from Indiana. That kind of late-game aggression stood out, especially for a rookie in his first outing.
He attacked with confidence throughout the game, getting to the rim and blowing by defenders more than once. That fit with the belief inside the organization, including Koby Altman’s comments about how much the team likes Thomas’ confidence.
The rebounding was another encouraging piece. Thomas grabbed five boards, and three came on the offensive glass.
For a Cavaliers team that values winning the possession battle, and for a coach like Kenny Atkinson who emphasizes rebounding, that part of Thomas’ game could earn him more attention as his rookie season unfolds. At 6-foot-3, he showed a willingness to mix it up and create extra chances.
Thomas is still a work in progress, and Cleveland knows that. But if the goal of Summer League is to flash the traits that make a team believe in a player, he checked plenty of boxes in one afternoon.
He’ll be back on the floor with Cleveland’s Summer League team on Sunday at 4:00 PM EST.
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