Knicks Prospect Breakdown: Aaron Nesmith
My 2020 NBA Draft Profiles:
Guards: Cole Anthony, Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, RJ Hampton, Killian Hayes, LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Maxey, Kira Lewis Jr.
Wings: Deni Avdija, Devin Vassell, Isaac Okoro, Aaron Nesmith
Bigs: Onyeka Okongwu, Obi Toppin, James Wiseman, Aleksej Pokuševski
Aaron Nesmith is a 6'6", 213 pound sophomore from Vanderbilt who I see as one of the best shooters in this year's draft. Nesmith averaged 23 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in his sophomore season, making his three-point attempts at a 52.2% rate. With his quick release and impressive overall marksmanship skills, Nesmith at least has an NBA role as a shooter.
Whether off of a screen, heavily contested, or wide open - Nesmith is excellent at navigating his way into getting a shot off through the usage of his basketball IQ and incredibly fundamentally sound jump shot. These skills result in floor spacing for his offense, as well as force the defense to pay attention to him at all times. Nesmith may not ever possess the "gravity" that all-time great shooters like Steph Curry have, but players such as RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson would certainly directly benefit from the space he opens up.
When attacking the rim, Nesmith tends to just go straight for the basket. With his current touch and finishing ability, this will lead to various struggles - especially if he were to try it against a center like Rudy Gobert (or even Mitchell Robinson). Nesmith's 6'10" wingspan and flashes of finishing potential show me that he can certainly be developed into a good rim-attacker, but isn't quite there yet.
If the Knicks wound up with Nesmith, he'd fit into their offense with ease; whether Nesmith has the ball or not, he's looking for ways to contribute. He understands how to set good screens, not take an excessive amount of questionable shots, and execute offensive sets. He does struggle to create his own shot due to a lack of a tight handle and an explosive first step, which results in him often being in motion to try and create a look from deep.
On defense, Nesmith at least keeps his effort level high - but could use some work in terms of optimizing his usage of his physical tools. If he spent enough time in the weight room, and with a defensive coordinator, Nesmith would probably be able to guard bigger guards, wings, and stretch fours - a level of versatility that would certainly make drafting him look smarter.
I don't believe Nesmith would fall to the Clippers' pick at the end of the first round, nor is he worth selecting with the team's lottery pick, but I would certainly strongly consider trying to package the two non-lottery picks in a deal to wind up with him - if Walt Perrin so advised.
