Anytime a team with playoff aspirations starts the season 0-3, some sort of change to the team's rotation is typically expected. Following the New Orleans Pelicans' 122-90 loss to the Boston Celtics last night, there is an obvious change head coach Willie Green can make to the team rotation: integrate Micah Peavy.
Through the team's first three games, their defense has had some good moments, especially from Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Derik Queen. However, as a collective, they have been pretty disappointing defensively, which is why they have the league's fifth-worst defensive rating.
The team's biggest defensive issue to this point has been their lack of hustle in transition, which leads to open layups, dunks, and transition threes. This poor play when defending the fastbreak is reflected through the numbers, as New Orleans is giving up the fifth-most fastbreak points per game so far this season.
Not to say Peavy would come in and make all of this astronomically better, but his calling card has always been his hustle. Throughout his collegiate career and preseason with the Pelicans, we’ve seen that he’s someone who never really gives up on any play and always makes sure he gets back on defense.
Things need to be shaken up, and I think giving Peavy 15-20+ minutes per game could be the change needed to help improve this group's defense.
The Pelicans can form their own version of the “Terror Twins”
If you remember last season, before Amen Thompson fully broke out, he was coming off the Houston Rockets bench alongside Tari Eason, the two quickly gained the nickname the “Terror Twins.” By incorporating Peavy into the rotation, they can form their own version of the “Terror Twins” with him and Jose Alvarado. To me, Peavy is just like a jumbo-sized version of Alvrado, so having the two come off the bench together would be something to see.
Do you know how much trouble these two would cause opposing teams, perimeter players, if they got to share the court with one another. While they don’t have the size that Eason and Thompson have, they do have similar defensive instincts, great hands, high basketball IQ, and extremely fast-moving feet.
Even though it may sound crazy to have a rookie second-round pick to join the rotation and fix this team's defensive woes, let me remind you, Peavy isn’t really a rookie. Technically speaking, he’s a rookie, but when you watch him play, he looks like the farthest thing from a rookie, as his approach and patience on both ends of the floor are like those of a five-year pro.
Willie Green doesn’t have many options, and time is running out. If he wants to improve this group's defense, then he must insert Micah Peavy into the rotation sooner rather than later.