.jpg)
7 hours ago
1
Aaron Nesmith has a social media post saved on his phone that he thinks about often. It's not one of his rim-rattling dunks, such as the one he had off a missed free throw in Game 2 that changed the momentum of the game. Nor is it one of his signature hustle plays, like the eight-second backcourt violation that he single-handedly caused with intense pressure in the third quarter of Game 1.
Instead, it's one from Bleacher Report dating back to 2022, featuring Spongebob Squarepants holding a paperclip and a piece of string.
What the Celtics gave up for Brogdon pic.twitter.com/8GFYW72WWy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 1, 2022Back at the time of that post, Nesmith was a disappointing former lottery pick for Boston who wasn't playing much. Malcolm Brogdon was coming off a season averaging 19 points per game for the Pacers and already a high-level role player.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
The Celtics traded Nesmith, salary filler, and a first-round pick in exchange for Brogdon in what was considered a steal at the time. In retrospect, it's worked out pretty well for both teams.
Brogdon went on to win the Sixth Man of the Year award and was a piece of a subsequent trade that brought in Jrue Holiday. Nesmith has flourished in a new situation, and it's that chip on his shoulder that's been driving him.
"As soon as the trade happened I saw the tweet and I saved it immediately," Nesmith told Celtics reporters back in 2023. "Seeing that tweet is always on my mind for sure."
Nesmith went on to post a screenshot of that tweet a year later, adding the words "s— aged well aint it" over the photo.
Once thought of as a paperclip, he's turned into a tub of glue big enough to fill the Boston Harbor.
MORE: Updated NBA playoffs schedule
How Aaron Nesmith turned into the Pacers X Factor
Nesmith's talent was always there. Opportunity was the issue. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were blocking his development at the wing, much to the frustration of himself and other Celtics observers.
It’s hard to believe that after multiple years of standing uselessly in the corner on every possession, getting repeatedly buried from a minutes standpoint, and never being empowered to do a single thing offensively, that Aaron Nesmith and Romeo Langford haven’t gotten better,
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) January 17, 2022Nesmith was a good shooter at Vanderbilt, but he couldn't translate it to the Celtics. They should have waited on him. His 50.7 percent from the field, 43.1 percent from 3, and 91.3 percent from the line put him as the only member of this year's exclusive 50/40/90 club. Those numbers have skyrocketed to a torrid 56.2 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from deep through the Pacers' first seven playoff games.
Nesmith's defense has been as impressive as his shot-making. The Pacers were rough on that end of the floor last season, finishing 24th in the league. They rose up to No. 14 this season, and No. 11 since he returned to the lineup on Jan. 16 after missing 35 games.
Nesmith has the typical stuff that you look for in a 3-and-D wing. He's got a good wingspan at 6-10 and can guard several positions. What makes him special is that chip on his shoulder. He defends like a maniac, throwing his body all over the place where others would take it easy.
This is OUTSTANDING defense from Nesmith guarding the inbounder, forces the Cavs to burn one of their last two timeouts. Could be a big deal for the Cavs hte last few seconds of the game.
Nesmith has saved his best for the highest-pressure moments. He was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field, with 19 points in the closeout Game 7 of the second round against the Knicks last year. He made huge play after huge play in Game 3 of the first round against the Bucks that same year, draining two free throws with seven seconds left in regulation and swishing a corner 3 with that game tied in overtime.
Nesmith has been equally good in the more mundane moments. He's been one of the best clutch free throw shooters in the league, going 21-of-22 during the regular season (his lone miss caused Pacers writer Caitlin Cooper to tweet "life doesn’t make sense anymore").
Put aside the big shots for a second. Nesmith is a cult hero because of his uncanny ability to make big plays appear from out of thin air. His dunk over Mitchell in Game 2 will live on forever in Pacers history.
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 7, 2025The following play might not be remembered as much, but it was just as vital to the Pacers' improbable win. Nesmith hounded Mitchell on the inbounds pass, getting in front of the star and taking an elbow to the head in order to draw an offensive foul. It was emblematic of the type of player he has become.
"Some people say they're willing to die for this," Tyrese Haliburton presciently reflected a week earlier. "Double-A is willing to die for this. He gives it his all every night and I think every team in the NBA wants a guy like Aaron Nesmith."
English (US)