We know what Semi is. A guy who can play good defense and maybe knock down a couple open treys. Nothing more. And usually less.
I want to see if Nesmith really can be an elite shooter.
It’s early so I’m fine with whoever Brad wants to play, but eventually we need to see what Nesmith can do.
Again, Nesmith is not competing with Ojeleye for minutes. He weighs 213...
He’s playing behind Smart and Brown, basically. There just aren’t a lot of minutes available.
Regarding Semi, you describe an effective 3-and-D player. That’s good, isn’t it? Despite your comment that he does ‘Nothing more. And usually less’, he shot 20 points above league average on threes for the entire season last year, and was routinely put on some of the toughest covers in the league (in the Toronto series, you probably noticed that they put him on Siakam, for example).
Regarding Nesmith - he’ll get his chance, and it won’t be long. The learning curve is steep for most rookies. And yes, he ‘really can be an elite shooter.’
I see people saying this, but Brown or Tatum could easily slide up to the 4 instead of Ojeleye and have Nesmith covering whatever wing or guard is a bit smaller. This is the benefit of versatility in players--you put the players with the most talent on the floor and those players can cover multiple positions.
As always your thinking is logical; and it takes the big picture of lineups into account. My only issue with it is that it doesn’t match reality very well.
First about Brown. It’s true that he’s had some high-visibility stints guarding up (Lebron for example, in the 2018 playoffs), but it’s actually rare for him to do that. He virtually always takes the quicker wing, where he’s typically got a size advantage.
Tatum certainly played a lot of ‘4’ last year; and yet Ojeleye still got about 15 minutes a game, same as the year before - and despite Grant Williams also earning rotation minutes.
Ojeleye got the bulk of his minutes in fact paired with Tatum. Often fans see players as fitting into one of the five prescribed roles; but the reality is a lot more individual than that. Ojeleye’s minutes have been consistent season to season because he has a role to play that no one on the team does better.
You mention versatility. Ojeleye’s versatility is in fact one of his many virtues as a defender. He’s got a rare combination of lower-body strength, weight (240), laterals, and footwork to guard up or down without fouling and to move his man into help.
More immediately to the point is the way lineups are working this season. Two or three of Smart, Brown, Teague, or Pritchard are always on the floor at the same time. Whether you call them ones or twos doesn’t matter so much; there aren’t many scraps left for Nesmith (or for that matter Carsen Edwards).
Digging deeper, there are always two of Smart, Teague, or Pritchard on the floor,
except when the new two-centers lineup is in place. So right now it’s either two centers or two points (or whatever Marcus Smart is). On top of that, one of Brown or Tatum is always on the floor - usually both. Do the math.
We’re in a sorting-out period. Some of the experiments might not be repeated; the two-centers lineup will likely continue a while, even though there are mixed results up to this point. The two-points lineups will likely also continue, at least until Kemba returns, and Peyton Pritchard is making his case for both on- and off-the-ball roles. The coaching staff are trying out Javonte Green in various units as well.
But the best argument against your claim is Brad Stevens’ own assessment of Nesmith’s role:
Adam Himmelsbach: what have you seen from Aaron these first few weeks and what does he need to show you to get a chance in one of these games?
BS: Obviously, you can only play five guys at a time. We’ve got several guys who are high-minute players at his position, and very often it’s hard to crack when you’re in an eight- or nine-man rotation…
It’s a unique situation right now from our standpoint. He’s doing everything that he needs to do. He’s working really hard. He’s a guy that does not have the same level of experience as others but will catch up quickly because of his work ethic, his personality, who he is and everything else. Biggest key for him is just stay upbeat. He’ll get plenty of opportunities as the season goes along… I have no doubt that he’ll be ready.
Ojeleye is his main competition right now, and Ojeleye has done nothing so far this season or in his career to separate himself as a 3D player.
Apart from moving his 3-pt average above league-average last year?
Nesmith will have to earn those minutes over Ojeleye, but Nesmith can be a real difference-maker if he figures it out.
I’m not persuaded about his competing with Ojeleye, obviously. But I certainly agree that Nesmith can be a difference-maker.
I got my best look at him yet in the Memphis game, and I have to say I’m encouraged. He needs a LOT of work on his lower body, and come to think of it, on his upper body, too. By the same token, he's got some pretty intriguing length and spring and the capacity to use it; he's got more of a game than the 3-ball, and of course the distance shooting...
The roster spots that are most threatened are Carsen's and Romeo's. I'd bet on Nesmith over those two.
Patience, grasshopper.
Topic: Why did we draft Nesmith again? (Read 19718 times)