Cavs’ Meleek Thomas is earning a longer look

Meleek Thomas has given the Cavs reasons to trust his shot. The next question is how much they can trust him to create shots for everybody else.

That’s worth exploring. It doesn’t require handing him James Harden’s job after 10 games.

Mack Perry of Cavaliers On SI examined Thomas’ potential as an eventual starting point guard, and the shooting makes it an interesting discussion. The rookie has made 18 of 40 attempts from beyond the arc, good for 45 percent.

He scored 12 points against the Sixers on Friday and has looked comfortable playing alongside the Cavs’ established scorers. Defenses have to account for him, which is a useful starting point for any young guard.

Harden’s uneven start adds urgency to the discussion. He’s averaging 15.7 points and 5.8 assists while shooting 36.6 percent from the field, per Perry. Saturday’s seven-point performance against the Knicks certainly didn’t help.

But there’s a considerable difference between making open shots and organizing an offense. Harden still understands how to get a big man involved, move defenders and find a second option when the first disappears.

Thomas has to learn those things. The Cavs can give him opportunities without asking him to learn everything at once.

Let him handle more possessions alongside Donovan Mitchell. See how he reads the pick-and-roll. Find out whether he can consistently deliver the ball where teammates need it.

The Cavs are trying to win now. Developing another dependable ball handler could help them do that while answering a longer-term question.

Thomas has earned a closer look. The size of his role should follow what he does with it.

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