Koa Peat spoke to the media for the first time as a member of the Phoenix Suns on Friday, and it was great to get a sense of the attitude he is bringing to the roster next season.
When it came to where he was selected in the draft and his thoughts on falling to the 30th spot, Peat didn't hold back in his assessment that inferior players were off the board before he heard his name called.
Peat's comments on being taken 30th shows winning mentality early
"It was tough, obviously, as a competitor, you're seeing other guys, you know, you think you're better than getting drafted ahead of you", was what the 19-year-old had to say about where he was taken on the night. He must be feeling the love from the front office in Phoenix however, given they moved out of the second round to acquire him and didn't get a chance to work him out properly.
This is the kind of mentality head coach Jordan Ott will love to hear, and Peat did follow this up by saying that now that the draft is in the books all of that is in the past. All that matters is having a strong Summer League performance and going from there.
It is clear the player feels he landed in the right situation to showcase his skills anyway, with the Suns having a former second round pick in Oso Ighodaro firmly in the rotation. The same unfortunately cannot be said for Ryan Dunn (taken two spots ahead of where Peat ultimately went back in 2024), but that is not the fault of the franchise.
The Suns clearly need an Aaron Gordon type athletic forward who can be a two-way player on both ends of the court for the team, and it looks like that is what they are getting with Peat.
His jump shot does need work, and given Dunn has had those same struggles that is a cause for concern. Coach Ott clearly loves having dogs on his team, it is why Collin Gillespie had to be brought back this offseason and was, and Peat clearly fits that profile if his first press conference is any indication.
Peat would also go on to mention that the fit and situation are better than where he was picked, and that Phoenix ticks both of those boxes for him. Time to get to work.
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