Why did we draft Nesmith again?

[Hoopvortex]

Semi has played 18  12 and 10 minutes in each game so far and nesmith, a lotto pick this year and no doubt a player who was picked to have a big impact on the team moving forward played 8 mijutes in garbage time in a blow out.

Seems like brad views semi as the better player than dannys lotto pick. That bad.

Perhaps if nesmith was from indiana he would get more playing time

Don’t worry, Nesmith will get there. He gets to watch and learn, like most rookies.

In any case he’s not competing with Semi for minutes.

[ozgod]

Why do people feel Nesmith should be playing? Was there something in the extremely limited minutes in preseason ball that showed he was worthy of minutes, because I sure as heck didn't see it.

Nesmith hadn't played organized basketball at any level in about a year. He played limited minutes in two preseason games and didn't look good defensively and looked like maybe he needed some adjustment to the speed of the game and the length of the NBA three pointer.

This wasn't a high quality draft. Nesmith in most other years is getting picked in the low to mid 20's. He is a project. Expecting him to be playing rotational minutes now is simply unrealistic. Getting angry over his lack of minutes through 3 games in a season without Summer League, training camp and only two preseason games is fairly ridiculous, IMHO.

Kid will get his shot.....when he shows he is worthy of minutes and not before. And, it appears he isn't worthy quite yet.

It's because people somehow thought he was going to be this year's Tyler Herro, on the basis of not a lot of footage.

[BitterJim]

This might be a bit out there, but I think he was probably drafted for more than just the first 3 games of his rookie year (where there was no summer league and minimal training camp/preseason)

It's weird, it seems like some of the same people who were mad at Danny for taking a high floor/low ceiling player like Pritchard are now mad that the earlier pick was a higher ceiling, but less NBA ready guy...

[GreenEnvy]

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.

[Vermont Green]

A subset question seems to have come up which is if Nesmith isn't playing, then who is getting his minutes or whose minutes would he take if he did play.  It is only 3 games but there is a pretty clear pattern already.

Smart (34 mpg), Brown (34), Tatum (35), Teague (23), and Pritchard (20) have shared the PG, SG, and SF positions for a total of 146 minutes per game or just over the 144 total available minutes for the 3 positions.  Theis (21), Thompson (22), GWill (19), Ojeleye (15), and RWill (11*) for a total of 88 of the available 96 minutes for PF and C.  Waters, Edwards, Nesmith, and Green have made cameo appearances to make up the remaining minutes (each have only appeared in 1 game).

Essentially you have 5 players sharing the the 3 backcourt/wing positions and 5 players sharing the 2 frontcourt/big positions.  Nesmith is a backcourt/wing so that means to give him minutes from GWill or Ojeleye means more of the "small ball" (1-big) line up.  So far, it has been pretty much 2-big line ups.  Match ups may be as much of the consideration to play Nesmith as all the other things.  That may be somewhat related to the specific match ups we have had with the first 3 opponents but it is clear that the Celtics are making 2-bigs the core line up.

[PhoSita]

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.

Semi's role on the team is "the baseline of defensive trust you have to rise above in order for Brad to give you wing minutes"

[Darth_Yoda]

Nesmith will be ok.

Pritchard ($2M), according to the stats is the #2 rookie for 3PT% behind Wiseman ($8.7M).

Of all da dwaft pix you wanted...every binky everywhere "Mr. 26th pick" just chucks 30 footers like it's another day at the office?

Pacer's put a guy on a rookie at the 3pt line in his third game?

You actually care for half a second about Nesmith when Pritchard just catches and chucks it in like he's playing Washington freakin State?

Do you know how many draft picks we've whiffed on? You dedicate a whole thread to one that hasn't played yet?

Ainge got three high draft picks in the last six years and THEY ALL START and two of them can shoot....ok?

We might have a third one that can shoot now. There should be a party or something.

The kid just stands in front of the scorer's desk and chucks it in and we're talking about Nesmith?

We gotta clean shot at a 450 foot home run here and we're wishing Nesmith was out there?

Put a Celtic's hoodie on Pritchard, give him a handful of tickets and put him down by the Garden on game night...he looks like every kid from southie making a couple bucks...but HE CAN SHOOT in NBA games!

Do a thread on all the kids that proved they COULDN'T shoot.

So I will wade through all the gibberish in this post and ask if this is what you mean.

We have pritchard who is good so who care about nesmith not playing?

Did you wven read my original post? I stated why not have drafted pp at 14? Or traded 14?

[Rikibellevie]

We drafted him to become in 2/3 years a good 3nD either coming of the bench or spacing our first team rotation for our stars. For what we saw and what we know (very few)about him, it's a good pick at least in the idea. Early to compare him to Danny Green but lso a little early to compare him to James Young.

[Hoopvortex]

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.’

[wdleehi]

Why does this sound so familiar?   


Why did we draft Smart?
Why did we draft Avery Bradley?
Why did we draft Rozier?



Way to early for this.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

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.

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. He's fine. He's a good guy to have. I'd like to have him around Boston for a long time as a bench player. Nesmith will have to earn those minutes over Ojeleye, but Nesmith can be a real difference-maker if he figures it out.

[Hoopvortex]

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.

Semi's role on the team is "the baseline of defensive trust you have to rise above in order for Brad to give you wing minutes"

Brad has two baselines: defensive effort and taking care of the ball.

Ojeleye has consistently had the lowest turnover% on the team.

He’s comfortably above that defensive baseline you mentioned. He’s routinely assigned some of the toughest covers in the league, and, just to choose one team defensive measure, was one of the top players in the league, per possession, in drawing charges.

Ojeleye has actual weaknesses, but posters on here rarely mention them. Actually, pretty much never. More common is a vague dismissal.

[CFAN38]

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.

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. He's fine. He's a good guy to have. I'd like to have him around Boston for a long time as a bench player. Nesmith will have to earn those minutes over Ojeleye, but Nesmith can be a real difference-maker if he figures it out.

I agree the Cs are very fluid when it comes to the traditional 2,3,4 roster designation. Brown and Tatum are both perfectly fine guarding most teams starting SG,SF, or PF. This allows the Cs to place the best over all fit regardless of who they defend.

Where I disagree is with how Nesmith should be used on defense. Given this is a small sample size but in college and his brief stint with the Cs its my opinion that Nesmith is actually going to have to get stronger and play up. I do not think he will ever have the lateral mobility to defend sub 6'7 NBA wings. He is likely going to find more success adding strength and using his length to defend bigger wings in the NBA.

[PhoSita]

Ojeleye has actual weaknesses, but posters on here rarely mention them. Actually, pretty much never. More common is a vague dismissal.

His weaknesses

- Not a reliable enough shooter
- Not a quick / willing enough shooter
- Can't put the ball on the floor
- His height limits his ability to make an impact against taller shooters
- Doesn't board (again, he's just not that big)
- Isn't a passer
- Can't punish mismatches
- Doesn't force turnovers


Semi is a lot like Grant Williams in that what he does best is keep the ball moving on one end and gets to the correct spots without screwing up assignments on the other end.

Grant Williams is a bit thicker which lets him scrum more inside.  He also seems like he has more upside as a passer and shooter.

Semi has no upside -- he is what he is.  He's a borderline NBA wing/forward who is lucky to play for a coach that prioritizes defensive reliability over other attributes and so keeps him in the rotation even when the team desperately needs things he cannot provide.

[CFAN38]

Ojeleye has actual weaknesses, but posters on here rarely mention them. Actually, pretty much never. More common is a vague dismissal.

His weaknesses

- Not a reliable enough shooter
- Not a quick / willing enough shooter
- Can't put the ball on the floor
- His height limits his ability to make an impact against taller shooters
- Doesn't board (again, he's just not that big)
- Isn't a passer
- Can't punish mismatches
- Doesn't force turnovers


Semi is a lot like Grant Williams in that what he does best is keep the ball moving on one end and gets to the correct spots without screwing up assignments on the other end.

Grant Williams is a bit thicker which lets him scrum more inside.  He also seems like he has more upside as a passer and shooter.

Semi has no upside -- he is what he is.  He's a borderline NBA wing/forward who is lucky to play for a coach that prioritizes defensive reliability over other attributes and so keeps him in the rotation even when the team desperately needs things he cannot provide.

Semi is a defensive utility wing who is nice to have for match-ups vs big scoring wings. On high level playoff team he should be just outside the playoff 8-9 man rotation. Grant unless he starts really shooting the ball is probably the 9th man in a playoff rotation.