After acquiring the 40th pick from the Washington Wizards as part of the Jordan Poole trade, the Pelicans have selected Georgetown guard Micah Peavy. After drafting two bad fits yesterday in Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and Derik Queen at No. 13, things only get worse as New Orleans reached for Peavy at pick No. 40.
This is no shade to Peavy. He fills a need and will likely develop into a great role player in the NBA. The issue arises from how far the Pelicans reached in drafting him. In ESPN's final mock draft, Peavy was projected to Indiana at 54th overall, while The Ringer had him going undrafted. HoopsHype, on the other hand, had Peavy selected 46th overall by the Orlando Magic.
The fact that Peavy was commonly viewed as a player teams might sign after the draft or will be on a two-way deal, should concern Pelicans fans. With New Orleans having Jahmir Watkins from Florida State, Hunter Sallis from Wake Forest, and Koby Brea of Kentucky all still available, it makes picking Peavy this high a head-scratching move.
Drafting continues to be a struggle for Joe Dumars
This pick is Joe Dumars trying to overcompensate for last night's mistakes. After drafting two extremely skilled offensive talents in the first round, Dumars felt the need to lean heavily into defense, leading to the selection of Peavy. He is coming off a strong season for the Hoyas, averaging 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game.
Peavy is an exceptional defender; it is definitely his strongest trait. He uses his 6'6", nearly 215-pound frame to get low and make offensive players uncomfortable. One of Peavy's best defensive traits is his rapid foot speed, as he makes it difficult for offensive players to get by him. He is a disruptive player, and that is reflected well in his 2.3 steals per game.
On the offensive side, he still has a lot of room to grow, but excels as a driver. He showed improvement in his final college season as a shooter, knocking down 40% of his threes, but it remains an area for continued improvement. His 65.9% mark from the free-throw line has raised concerns about his long-term shooting ability. He'll mostly be an off-guard for New Orleans, but is a solid playmaker and smart decision-maker.
The Pelicans drafted an NBA-ready player in Peavy, who fills a need as a defensive stopper and high-motor player. However, he was still a reach at No. 40 and was only selected because Joe Dumars dropped the ball on night one.