During the 2025 offseason, one thing has been evident: the New Orleans Pelicans' front office appears to be leaning toward an offense-heavy system. During this summer, the Pelicans traded for Jordan Poole and drafted two of the draft's poorer defenders in Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
So, when they made the selection of Micah Peavy 40th overall, I was shocked and upset. It seemed like that was Joe Dumars' way of acknowledging that he had been drafting purely offensive talents, so he needed to reach for a defensive stopper high in the second round. At the time, Peavy's range across mock drafts was anywhere from 45 to undrafted.