Aaron Nesmith discusses the victory of match 4 of the Pacers against the Bucks
Aaron Nesmith scored 14 points, seized five rebounds and had a huge block in the Pacers 129-103 victory against the Bucks in match 4.
- Aaron Nesmith collected an average of 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the Pacers series in the first round against Milwaukee.
Tyrese Haliburton’s trade was breastfeeding the franchise. The trade of Siakam Pascal was transformational. But does not undergo the agreement which sent Aaron Nesmith to the Pacers.
Nesmith plays with a chip on his shoulder. It was firmly affixed to it after his Boston trade at Indiana in the summer of 2022.
The Celtics drafted Nesmith 14th in the general classification in 2020, which caught Nesmith by surprise, since they already had small stars before / Wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. “At the top of my list, Boston was not going to be a good choice,” Nesmith told Dustin Dopirak in Indystar. “It’s a funny way that works the universe.”
“It was a difficult situation where we had these wings in front of him,” said Ime Udoka, who trained Nesmith in his second year in Boston and is now the head coach with the Rockets. “But that was not only that. These are the backups we had, Josh Richardson, Dennis Schroeder and many guys in these places.”
Nesmith played in 46 of the 72 games in the regular season of Celtics under Brad Stevens of the time, in his recruit year – which was shortened because of COVID – and on average 14.5 minutes. During his second year after Stevens moved to the Front Office and Udoka had taken control of the job coach position, Nesmith played 52 of the 82 and on average only 11.0 minutes per match.
“There were a lot of days and a lot of nights when I said to myself:” Why did you even choose me if you wouldn’t use me? “” Said Nesmith. “It was really a difficult situation, but during the time that I learned a lot about me. I learned how difficult it is to stay in this league and what it takes to be a quality basketball player in this league. It really helped me grow with the player I am today.”
Finally, the Celtics decided to move Nesmith and exchanged it and parts on the Pacers for Malcolm Brogdon.
It was a business that many at the time praised the Celtics and Stevens.
Boston stolen them. My God.
This is a flight.
Pacers stolen in broad daylight.
You have the idea.
“It was a brilliant decision for Stevens to acquire Brogdon without abandoning a rotation player,” said Gary Washburn of Boston Globe after trade. “Nesmith was an Ainge choice, and he never evolved as a 3 -point shooter, he had to get out of Vanderbilt. Stevens told journalists last week, Nesmith was an” exceptional “shooter, but that was not translated as games.
“It was a disturbing statement because Nesmith’s difficulties can be psychological and it became clear that it was time for a new team.”
In addition to Nesmith, Boston also sent Nik Stauskas, Daniel Theis, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts and a first -round choice in 2023 in the Pacers.
A particular tweet attracted Nesmith’s eye. Bleacher Report published the same SpongeBob Squarepants: “What the Celtics abandoned for Brogdon”, with an open hand with just a trombone and a spare chain in the palm.
“As soon as the trade has happened, I saw the tweet and I saved it immediately,” said Nesmith in 2023. “I am someone who takes things personally and I think it helps to improve. This is what makes me take to the gymnasium at night. Seeing this tweet is still in my mind.”
Most commercial notes have greatly biased in favor of the Celtics. But over time, it looks like a stroke of genius from Pacers rather than a “Masterclass Stevens”.
Brogdon (14.9 ppg, 4.2 RPG, 3.7 APG) won the sixth man of the year, but only played a season in Boston. He was particularly poor in the final of the East Celtic Conference against Miami, with an average of 5.7 points and 1.3 assists on 31% shooting, including 3 out of 18 behind the arc of the series. Boston upgraded during the 2023 offseason by sending Brogdon to Portland for Jrue Holiday.
With vacation to the leader, the Celtics won the NBA 2024 final, while the Brogdon was injured by the OFT missed more matches than what has played in the last two seasons with Portland and Washington.
Meanwhile, Nesmith has become a vital cog in a team still improved by Pacers. He has on average a two -digit score from each of his three Indiana seasons, is a solid defender and has made an average of a career summit of 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the five -game pacers series against the Bucks. His Bobby Portis pursuit block in match 4 was one of the timeless moments in the series.
“He sacrificed himself, guy,” said Myles Turner, the center of Myles Turner. “Landing on the back as it is not fun, but it has triggered a big game for us. It’s just not new for him. It’s very tied for what Aaron Nesmith brings to our team. Just a guy hard in the nose. I think he is doing an incredible job to sell.
“This is what Double-A is,” added Tyrese Haliburton. “What it brings does not always present itself on the match sheet. Some people say, as, they are ready to die for it. Double-A is ready to die for that. He gives everything that is every night and I think that each team of the NBA wants a guy like Aaron Nesmith. Each team that wins big and who finally wins all this always has a guy like Aaron Nesmith.”
Let’s take a look at trade notes and live reaction to trade, which, of course, promotes the Pacers with hindsight.
∎ Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report: B +
“If it is the best they could get, great. While waiting for the deadline for trade, but that could also have turned against him. Since all the injuries that Brogdon had suffered in recent years, another in 2022-23 could have scared the teams to include first. In this case, Indiana can at least take an exhaust, and Aaron Nesmith is not a prospect.”
∎ Michael Kaskey-Blomain, CBS Sports: B-
Called the pacers movement a “prudent” made with a eye towards the future.
“The choice will probably not be too high because the Celtics project is again very good next season, but it is still precious. The argument may be advanced that they should have kept Brodgon to the deadline for trade in order to maximize its commercial value, but it is simply speculation. The team has found an agreement they liked now, and there is nothing that has done nothing.” There is nothing wrong. “”
∎ Cole Huff, for victory: b-
“Maybe Nesmith ends up being something. They could turn around, but if not, it is an excellent space reserved while the pacers rebuild themselves. All the other people involved are unimportant. Nevertheless, I like trade for Indy but does not like it.”
∎ Michael Pina, Sports Illustrated: C +
“This transport is not excruciating, but was it really the best in Indiana?
“(Indiana is) a team that has a long way to go before being good again. It was a fairly decent movement (although little spectacular) to bring them where they wanted to go.”
∎ Zach Harper, The Athletic: C-
“The Pacers could have done better here, but they are on the way to live in the depths of the lottery, and that’s how they choose to reset.
“The problem I have with this return is the young guy that the pacers had is not someone that they could not have drawn from the G League, the veteran player is someone maybe that they can return for a second round choice and the first-round choice in 2023 does not give them a high probability of a final contributor in the future.”
The former journalist of Indystar Matthew Vantryon contributed to this story.
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