Decision Time for Nesmith, Where Might he be Drafted by NBA
The NBA Draft and Draft Combine are fast approaching- depending on potential postponements that have not yet been announced- with the draft scheduled for June 25, while the combine is slated for May 21-24 with the withdrawal deadline for college players to remove their names from draft consideration set for May 29.
Aaron Nesmith is considered a sure-fire first-round selection, but as of yet has not informed Vanderbilt of his intentions, though some internet sites such as Yahoo Sports are including him in their Early Entry Draft Tracker updates.
NBC Sports has Nesmith being taken in their mock draft in the first-round at No.16 by the Dallas Mavericks.
No one had a bigger jump from last year to this year than Vanderbilt's Aaron Nesmith. As a lengthy wing, his draft stock rose quickly as an astounding 52% 3-point shooter at a Power 5 program. A stress fracture to his right foot ended his year though with the Commodores. While there is some skepticism given his injury, if he is just a small portion of what he was at Vanderbilt, he has the potential to be a start in the league.
At 6'6", Nesmith provides a solid wing shooter who prior to his season-ending injury was shooting 52% from three-point range and leading the SEC in scoring to that point.
Nesmith certainly could decide to return to Vanderbilt for his junior season, though with potential first-round money on the table, and considering his injury last season, that seems highly unlikely at this point, though as mentioned, he has not informed the school of his decision as of this writing.
Richard Stayman of our Sports Illustrated Mavericks site Dallas Basketball shared his thoughts on Nesmith and his possible addition to the Mavericks roster as per the NBC Sports Mock Draft.
Aaron Nesmith is arguably the best pure shooter in the 2020 NBA Draft class. Nesmith brings immediate value to an NBA team as a shooter, both on the move and in spot-up situations. Standing at 6’6” and able to play both wing positions (shooting guard and small forward), his size, IQ, and shooting combination make him one of the most desired niche prospects in the Draft. In 14 games this season before a season-ending foot injury, Nesmith averaged 23 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 1 assist per game, and 1.4 steals per game on 51% shooting, including 52% from 3 on 8 attempts per game.
Nesmith’s draft range is wide: he could sneak into the end of the lottery for a team that desperately needs shooting, or he could slip into the 20s to a likely playoff team. He best qualifies as a player a team should add to an already existing core - not a piece that teams will be building around. It is difficult to accurately project Aaron Nesmith’s draft range because last year most people, myself included, had Cameron Johnson going in the late first, but ended up being a lottery pick. Johnson, like Nesmith, is a wing shooter with size and intelligence.
The best fits for Nesmith in my projected draft range (13-22) are New Orleans (13th currently), Dallas (18th), Milwaukee (19th), and Philadelphia (22nd). All 3 teams are competing for entry-level playoff spots or a chance at a title run within the next 2-3 years, which makes Nesmith’s shooting attractive to those teams. New Orleans will need to work on surrounding their young core with long term shooters, Dallas needs to compliment Luka Doncic with spot-up shooters, as does Milwaukee with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Philadelphia needs shooters from top to bottom on the roster.
In my most recent mock draft (http://mavsdraft.com/nba-mock-draft-2-0/), I have the Milwaukee Bucks winning the Aaron Nesmith sweepstakes. Ultimately, Nesmith adds valuable depth on the wing, in addition to the most important skill in the modern NBA: 3 point shooting. Mike Budenholzer’s system has always favored shooters, so Nesmith will be given all the tools to succeed in Milwaukee off the bench."
