Ah, I was dreading the day when I'd have to address Micah Peavy joining another team. Now, I don’t mean that because I didn’t want to see Peavy stick around in the league, but rather because whatever team got him next was going to be extremely lucky. Of course, that team had to be the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Peavy has agreed to a two-way deal with OKC.
This one makes sense. Peavy was super underrated last year and showed a willingness to be a connector from day one in the NBA.
The Pelicans' decision this past offseason to cut ties with him probably wasn’t one they wanted to make, but had to because of a chain reaction of poor decisions by the Joe Dumars-led regime.
Peavy was perfect for this Pelicans team
I'm definitely way higher on Peavy than the majority, maybe even too high, but the Thunder signing him only validates the way I’ve felt about him since early in his rookie year. Yeah, 4.3 points per game, while shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from deep, isn’t blowing anyone away or going to earn a player real recognition around the NBA. However, Peavy played 61 games for a reason, and that’s a point I’ll never stop making with him. To put it simply, he’s a winning player and an exceptional defensive talent.
Also worth noting, Peavy showed signs of improvement as a floor spacer during Summer League and looked way more confident in his overall offensive game. Peavy shot 50 percent from three on 3.0 attempts per game over his two appearances in Vegas.
The Pelicans didn't shake up their roster much this offseason, but they're entering a new campaign with a ton of ball-dominant players. While the defensive side of the ball hasn’t looked bad to start the year, am I confident that will remain consistent? Not overly, given the track record of the players on this roster.
Outside of Herb Jones, this team doesn't have another player widely viewed as a positive point-of-attack defender. Peavy was the other guy.
When you think about the principles Jamahl Mosley has instilled throughout preseason and the early regular season—forcing turnovers and making quick decisions—Peavy would've been perfect. The way he moves his feet defensively, his frame, active hands, ability to play passing lanes, and discipline are high-level, and I believe those traits would’ve made him a star role player long-term under Mosley. Instead, he’ll probably do exactly that in OKC.
For Peavy, this is honestly a blessing to be going to the Thunder. There, he’ll be in another system that loves turning other teams over and rewards strong perimeter defenders. He’ll also be in an environment unlike New Orleans, with a great developmental track record, and will probably end up becoming someone defenses have to respect as a shooter.
You could feel however you wanted about Peavy being moved by the Pelicans this offseason, but now there’s only one way to look at it: a major mistake. It's telling when an A1 organization with a phenomenal track record, one that has made fewer bad moves than I can count on one hand over the last five years, picks up a guy you gave up on. There’s a reason the Pelicans are the Pelicans and the Thunder are the Thunder.
Peavy was never the problem. It was the people making the decisions about his future in New Orleans who were and continue to be.
Add us as a preferred source on Google