With the NBA draft around the corner, the Boston Celtics have been getting multiple players in for private workouts. One player they recently had for a workout was Arkansas Razorbacks guard Meleek Thomas, per Rookie Wire's draft workout tracker.
After an impressive season with the Razorbacks, Thomas is heading to the NBA and is someone Boston should keep an eye on.
Meleek Thomas is one of the best shooters in the draft
During last season with Arkansas, Thomas was a huge part of the team's success, averaging 15.6 points and excelling from range. The 19-year-old shot 41.6% from three on 5.6 attempts per game. His free-throw percentage is also encouraging at 84.3%.
At Arkansas, Thomas played next to one of the top guards in the country, Darius Acuff. This demonstrates his ability to play next to other top players.
On the defensive side of things, Thomas averaged 1.5 steals per game. So, how can Thomas help the Celtics?
Meleek Thomas would be ideal fit for the Celtics due to his floor spacing
What makes Thomas a great fit for Boston is his ability to space the floor. While fans might not be thrilled with the Celtics' current offensive game plan, given how the roster is built, the Celtics need the role players on the team to space the floor for Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to attack the paint. Thomas can do exactly that.
Secondly, Thomas has the potential to grow into a secondary creator. Due to Arkansas having Acuff as the main initiator, Thomas' ability to create with the ball has been slept on and should be something to take a look at. I don't think Thomas ever becomes a player who averages top-of-the-league assists, but he could be someone who can create for others from time to time.
As good as the Pennsylvania native was, he does have some questions. His overall shooting percentage wasn't the best, as he only shot 43.5% from the field. Finishing in the paint is something he'll need to improve to help adjust to the NBA.
Defensively, he is on the smaller side, measuring 6'3 barefoot at the combine, though he did have a 6'6.75 wingspan and 8'4 standing reach. In the NBA, teams will attack him defensively, and if he can't hold his own, it could cause problems.
Even with concerns, I still think taking Thomas at 27 would make sense. In the postseason, outside of the center play, one thing that hurt the Celtics was a lack of scoring outside of JB and JT, something Thomas can help with.
Outside of Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, the Celtics' guard depth is questionable. You can make the argument that finding help in the frontcourt is a more pressing need, but guard depth is right behind it. If the Celtics can't add frontcourt help at pick 27, Thomas would be a solid pick.
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