Aaron Nesmith put in the extra work with the Boston Celtics. It's paying off for the Indiana Pacers
Aaron Nesmith spent much of his first two seasons with the Boston Celtics observing. He played just 1,243 minutes with the franchise during his two campaigns with the Celtics — fewer than he has played in just 57 games with the Indiana Pacers this season. With Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Evan Fournier, Josh Richardson, and Derrick White in the mix for wing/guard minutes on a winning squad in Boston, there wasn't much time available for the younger, developing Nesmith with the team.
"Just a tough situation," Celtics star Jayson Tatum said of Nesmith. "Wasn't a lot of room for opportunity. Super hard worker, really good guy."
To get more reps, and to develop faster, Nesmith would get up early and get in some individual work, mostly before practices. The Pacers forward remembered some of those pre-practice sessions with Boston's now-head coach Joe Mazzulla.
"He was known as a shooter, but he really made his mark, in my opinion, [with] how detailed he was on the defensive end," Mazzulla recalled of the Pacers forward around the 2020 draft.
"He definitely took pride in making sure that I stood up on that side of the floor... We used to wake up every morning before practice and get some individual work in," Nesmith said of his moments with Mazzulla.
Those practices, and Nesmith's attention to detail, have paid off in a big way. With Indiana this year, the 23-year old is tasked with defending the opposing team's best player, and he looks forward to that challenge. His footwork, strength, and will make him a force on the defensive end.
He grades out with a defensive EPM in the 53rd percentile, per dunksandthrees, and his steal and block rates are above his career averages. Nesmith has grown as a defender this season, and he is important on that end of the floor for the blue and gold.
"He tried hard, he understood details. He understood tendencies," Mazzulla said of Nesmith's defense. "He was able to execute a game plan."
The night Mazzulla shared those thoughts, Nesmith defended well against his former team. He held his matchups to 5/11 shooting despite frequently being matched up with stars like Tatum and Brown, and the Pacers played his minutes to an even draw in a loss. He was solid.
On the offensive end, Nesmith had nine points, three rebounds, and two assists that night. His numbers on that end of the floor this year are much better than they were with the Celtics.
Currently, the Vanderbilt University product is averaging 9.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. All of those numbers are career highs, though his minutes being up is a factor. That said, his scoring and passing digits are still at career best levels even on a per-minute basis.
Opportunity has been huge for the young wing. Game reps have helped him improve, and he has become an important starter for the blue and gold. He has been in the opening five for the Pacers 45 times as he's shown his value on both ends.
"I would say it's definitely one of the most fun years for me just from an experience standpoint," Nesmith said last month of his ongoing campaign.
Nesmith is a wing that plays solid defense and has about an average true shooting percentage. That player archetype is valuable in the NBA, and Nesmith is just 23-years old and in his first year with a new franchise. He is a unique part of Indiana's long-term roster.
"I played with him for [two] years. The talent was always there," Tatum said of Nesmith. The two were a part of the 2022 Celtics team that reached the NBA Finals. Nesmith scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in the championship round against Golden State.
From that series until now, Nesmith has become a more well-rounded player. His ball handling has improved, his defense is more consistent, and his outside shot is a little better. All those little improvements added up have been big for the younger wing.
It's the result of the work he put in early in his career. Showing up early for practice and paying attention to the details are finally paying off for Nesmith in his third NBA season.
"[He's] just playing with a lot of confidence. I think he's shooting the ball well, I think he's around 38% from three," Mazzulla said of Nesmith's play this season. The wing was a 35.7% three-point shooter at the time. "So he's shooting the ball well with confidence. And he just competes. I think the thing that he surprised people with, even when he came in, was how good of a defender he was. And he's continued to get better at that."
The Pacers acquired Nesmith less than a year ago in a trade. WIth more opportunities to show off his growth, Nesmith's behind the scenes work is coming to the light for his new team.
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