Milwaukee Bucks: Big East Star’s Sudden Shooting Stroke Could Make Him Perfect 2nd-Round Choice

Due to higher shot volume, 130 of his 310 career three-point attempts came last season. That’s not a hugely reliable sample size, but it’s also a significant portion of the available data, as well as the most recent. Whether or not he can actually shoot is critical to his value as a prospect, especially on a Bucks roster than needs to surround Giannis Antetokounmpo with capable marksmen.

Draft expert Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports delivers the following assessment on his big board, where he puts Peavy at 50:

Shooting: Peavy went from a total non-shooter as a freshman at Texas Tech, then increased both his range and volume in three years at TCU but never shot over 31% from 3. All before making 40% of his 4.1 attempts per game at Georgetown. Is his newfound success for real? If so, he’ll have a long career. If not, it’ll be very hard for him to stick.

He also has some concerning insight on Peavy’s shot-creating abilities:

Shot creation: He struggles to separate off the dribble and is a below-the-rim finisher. He made only 47.3% of his at-rim layups in the half court, per Synergy. He mostly scores on drives by bullying smaller guys, but he won’t regularly have that size advantage in the NBA.

Certainly the Bucks would prefer that Peavy could create his own shot – in any case, he can’t be blowing layups – but what’s most important is whether he can reliably knock down perimeter jumpers, spacing the floor for Giannis. Being unable to do that would present a major problem.

Defense Separates Peavy from the Pod

Of course, the draft contains plenty of good shooters. Assuming his stroke has improved, that sets Peavy apart is is his defense. More from O’Connor:

Defense: He’s an unbelievable defender who plays hard every play, switches across positions, gets his hands in passing lanes, excels defending off-ball and rarely ever makes mistakes.

Milwaukee could absolutely use someone like that in the rotation, especially if they fail to retain 22-year-old free agent guard Ryan Rollins. Moreover, Peavy’s height gives him an edge over Rollins-sized players, increasing his positional versatility.

“He also moves well without the ball and would naturally be willing to set screens,” O’Connor says of Peavy’s offensive skillset. Moreover, O’Connor tags him as a high-IQ player and a guy who “Got That Dawg in Him.” On both sides of the ball, Peavy is the type of player who would work well within a heliocentric, Giannis-based offense.

Here’s the deal, then: worst case scenario, Peavy is unusable because his shooting evaporates in the NBA. Not good. Best case, he’s exactly what the Bucks are looking for with the 47th pick: “a switchable wing stopper with NBA-ready defense, instincts, and passing feel. If his improved jumper proves real, he’s a rotation-level player for a decade.” 

Drafting Peavy would entail a certain amount of risk, but the upside is there. It’s difficult to advocate either way. The Bucks may be wary of using a pick on a potentially hit-or-miss player when what they need is a secure, high-floor contributor.