A few years from now when the New Orleans Pelicans' 2025 draft class is evaluated, most of it will depend on how first-round picks Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen pan out.
Micah Peavy, the Pelicans’ second-round pick, wants to make sure he’s a part of that conversation, too.
The 6-foot-7 guard out of Georgetown knows exactly on which end of the court he likely will make his mark.
“A lot of guys don’t like playing defense,” Peavy said. “I love it. I don’t like being scored on. I don’t like the other team getting buckets. So I take pride in that.”
Peavy hasn’t taken long to show his knack for playing defense.
“Micah is a really good defender,” said Pelicans Summer League coach Corey Brewer. “You can tell that he loves to play defense and he plays hard. For us around here, that’s a breath of fresh air and we are happy to have him.”
The Pelicans are so happy to have him that they signed Peavy to a deal Monday morning reportedly worth $8.7 million over four years, according to HoopsHype.com.
“It means a lot,” Peavy said about signing his first NBA contract. “I’ve been waiting on this my whole life.”
Now Peavy, who turns 24 next week, is waiting to show what he can do in the NBA. He gets his first chance Thursday in Las Vegas when the Pelicans play the Minnesota Timberwolves in their Summer League opener.
Peavy has watched plenty of Summer League action in the past, particularly his stepbrother Anthony Black who plays for the Orlando Magic. So he knows what these games can mean to a player.
“I’ve watched it a lot the past couple of years because I knew I was going to get to this point,” Peavy said. “I see a lot of guys separate themselves, not just by scoring but by playing defense and the little things, and I can’t wait to do that as well.”
Defense always has been a thing for Peavy, who has been around basketball his entire life. His father David coached him at Duncanville High in Texas and instilled a defensive mindset.
“That’s what he preaches,” Peavy said. “My dad didn’t let anything go. I had to play hard at all times. I couldn’t take bad shots. So I think that’s helped me a lot to get to this level and playing the right way and playing hard at all times.”
Peavy, whose college career also included stops at Texas Tech and TCU, isn’t too bad on the offensive end, either. He averaged 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists this past season for Georgetown. He shot 40% on 3-pointers. If he can continue that success on 3-pointers, it will bolster he chances of getting valuable playing time in the league. It’ll just add to what he brings to the table on the other end.
“He can guard multiple positions 1 through 4,” Brewer said. “Then when you have the size that he has, that’s good. He wants to play defense. Sometimes, playing defense isn’t about how good you are. It’s about the want. If a kid wants to play defense, he is going to play a long time. Trust me.”
Brewer believes in Peavy. More importantly, Peavy believes in himself. Especially when it comes to locking up opponents, which is what he wants to show in Summer League play.
“I’m a dog,” Peavy said. “I make winning plays. I want to guard the best player on the court.”