Nesmith starting to turn a corner

[JBcat]

Gerald Wallace? I'm gonna meme that.

Didn't really follow Wallace at the height of his powers, but I loved him during his time with the Celts.

No side step threes, step back threes for Nesmith, but if he can hit some open ones and be a huge threat...that's cool.

Nesmith is a good energetic athlete, but Gerald Wallace was next level athletic. 2.5 steals and 2 blocks in his 05-06 season, aged 23. He was one of the most athletic guys in the league.

Nesmith is a pretty good rebounder though. I guess that's similar to Gerald Wallace

Wallace averaged 10 boards in 1 season, and had 7 others averaging at least 7. I don’t see Nesmith ever coming close to that. Nesmith is active like crash Wallace was that’s about it. Wallace was a horrible 3 point shooter, and at least Nesmith has the 3 point shooting pedigree from college, and a smooth stroke.

Nesmith’s strong, but he seems on the shorter side so only probably a 2, maybe a 3 at times, but not someone you would ever play the 4 like Wallace.

Nesmith's rebounding percentage is 9.8 for his career, whereas Wallace's was 11.5. A difference, for sure, but Nesmith is usually decent at crashing the boards (in his small sample size).

Nessie is 2 inches shorter than Wallace. He does have a 6'10" wingspan though, so I'm pretty comfortable with him at the 3.

That’s pretty solid rebounding then for Nesmith especially from the 2 and 3 spots. If he can get his shooting in order, we may have a nice find on our hands.

[Sophomore]

Let’s say Nesmith keeps growing and becomes a reliable rotation 2-3 next year on a team that makes a title run. Does this change the narrative on Ainge’s drafting? Home run on getting Rob at 27. I’ll call Grant and Payton doubles, getting both of them in the 20s. Nesmith could be at least a lined single, maybe better depending on his ceiling. Romeo never quite made it, but nobody hits them all.

[Roy H.]

Let’s say Nesmith keeps growing and becomes a reliable rotation 2-3 next year on a team that makes a title run. Does this change the narrative on Ainge’s drafting? Home run on getting Rob at 27. I’ll call Grant and Payton doubles, getting both of them in the 20s. Nesmith could be at least a lined single, maybe better depending on his ceiling. Romeo never quite made it, but nobody hits them all.

I think the narrative is fairly silly anyway, since Ainge drafted 80% of the starting lineup of a title contender.  But, if Nesmith becomes a solid rotation player, it just adds to a really impressive home-grown core. 

Rob / Theis
Horford / Grant
Tatum / Nesmith
Brown / White
Smart / Pritchard

To have that many draftees make up your core is impressive stuff.

I was a big proponent of Nesmith during the draft process.  He's the guy I wanted; I would have taken Haliburton over him if TH continued to fall, but otherwise was thrilled with Nesmith.  To me, his competition for the sport seemed to be Bey and Maxey.  To date, that hasn't worked out well, but I think Nesmith can be a good player.

And, as well as this season has played out, I still think that Nesmith should have been getting more minutes throughout the court of the season.  Perhaps he'll turn out to be a better player for it, though.

[BitterJim]

Let’s say Nesmith keeps growing and becomes a reliable rotation 2-3 next year on a team that makes a title run. Does this change the narrative on Ainge’s drafting? Home run on getting Rob at 27. I’ll call Grant and Payton doubles, getting both of them in the 20s. Nesmith could be at least a lined single, maybe better depending on his ceiling. Romeo never quite made it, but nobody hits them all.

I think the narrative is fairly silly anyway, since Ainge drafted 80% of the starting lineup of a title contender.  But, if Nesmith becomes a solid rotation player, it just adds to a really impressive home-grown core. 

Rob / Theis
Horford / Grant
Tatum / Nesmith
Brown / White
Smart / Pritchard

To have that many draftees make up your core is impressive stuff.

I was a big proponent of Nesmith during the draft process.  He's the guy I wanted; I would have taken Haliburton over him if TH continued to fall, but otherwise was thrilled with Nesmith.  To me, his competition for the sport seemed to be Bey and Maxey.  To date, that hasn't worked out well, but I think Nesmith can be a good player.

And, as well as this season has played out, I still think that Nesmith should have been getting more minutes throughout the court of the season.  Perhaps he'll turn out to be a better player for it, though.

Theis could arguably be included too, he wasn't drafted but Danny bringing him over from Europe and giving him his first chance here is kind of similar.

[pokeKingCurtis]

Nesmith’s technique and his balance for on-ball D are worlds better than they were when he started. Did a great job staying in front of guys 1 on 1 and contesting.  I can’t be as sure his off-ball work and switching are at the same level, but those are at least wayyy better than year 1. He used to just be lost and that’s clearly not true anymore.

If he can learn to tone it down about 10% and stop hitting the deck and other players so hard he’s going to have a nice career.

His improvement on the floor is reminiscent of Timelords

On both ends. Made a clutch 3 in rhythm and calmly

Would be great if he could become the shooter he was in college again, nailing side step 3s, but even just spot up shooting and playing g great D would be fantastic

[droopdog7]

I think with an opportunity, he can show a turnaround like Pritchard did.

He’s got size, length, athleticism and energy.

I think the answer is really that simple - if he gets extended minutes like Pritchard did, he will be able to get himself into a playing rhythm and things will get easier for him, and his confidence will grow. Unfortunately, minutes are a finite resource, especially in our team where we are planning to go on a deep run - and one thing about Ime that has become clear to me is that he doesn't dole out minutes for developmental reasons or to reward players here and there. If you get minutes in his rotation, it's because you earned it or because someone else got injured. Like with Payton - he had to wait till Schroder and JRich got out of the way.

Right now GWill is ahead of Aaron on Ime's 7-8 man rotation, because he has proven himself both as a multiposition defender and a guy who can hit the 3, and now he is expanding his game to being able to attack the basket during closeouts. As for White, he's a multiposition defender who is a solid passer and can handle the ball if needed. And Pritchard has been shooting 50% from 3 in March. So that doesn't leave much minutes for Aaron. All he can do is continue to work hard in practice and when he does get those opportunities.

This completely ignores the Rob injury.  I know ime shortened his rotation early, but no way does he stick with just an eight man rotation, but I expect him to add another player to replace rob.  That player WILL be nesmith imo.  He’ll get a full chance.  Whether he takes advantage of it, we’ll see. 

[Hoopvortex]

Let’s say Nesmith keeps growing and becomes a reliable rotation 2-3 next year on a team that makes a title run. Does this change the narrative on Ainge’s drafting? Home run on getting Rob at 27. I’ll call Grant and Payton doubles, getting both of them in the 20s. Nesmith could be at least a lined single, maybe better depending on his ceiling. Romeo never quite made it, but nobody hits them all.

And, as well as this season has played out, I still think that Nesmith should have been getting more minutes throughout the court of the season.  Perhaps he'll turn out to be a better player for it, though.

He got injured at exactly the wrong time, after the trade deadline moves opened up an opportunity for him as the third wing.

The departures of Romeo and Josh Richardson, who were ahead of him, opened up a slot, and the moves were partly done with his potential in mind. Looks like he's a worker.

His length and springiness, plus his range and off-the-dribble skills, give him the potential to be a third wing who can sub for Brown or Tatum. He's got a range of scorer's skills, including side-steps to either side; a pretty good left hand (he actually seems to prefer going left); a nice burst that shows on defense as well as on the drive; and a paint repertoire that includes a really, really drastic jabstep and fallaway, as well as floaters and pullups.

Good mobile lower body and footwork.

People (fans) pay too much attention to shooting %s and recency effects. Aaron shot over league average from 3 in his rookie year - and those were not limited to spotups; the main difference has been that Brad had a role for him and Ime didn't (not to say they both didn't have good reasons). Like just about every NBA player, consistent minutes are the biggest factor in consistent performance.

There's a role available for him as the third wing. If he can stay healthy, he'll get more and more opportunities for precious court time.

[BruceBanner18]

Nesmith's energy is great, but the way he plays he's likely to seriously injure himself before he turns a corner. He's got to get himself under control and harness that energy.

+1 We got laughing last night at how many times he was on the ground but also how many times he appears as though he's falling and staggering. And we said multiple times "he's going to end up hurt"

I know it's a dumb comp overall but the way he moves  reminds me of Rodman. It's athleticism and energy but it's spastic and without "basketball" coordination. It is more like reckless abandon but also seems to work.

[Neurotic Guy]

Nesmith's energy is great, but the way he plays he's likely to seriously injure himself before he turns a corner. He's got to get himself under control and harness that energy.

+1 We got laughing last night at how many times he was on the ground but also how many times he appears as though he's falling and staggering. And we said multiple times "he's going to end up hurt"

I know it's a dumb comp overall but the way he moves  reminds me of Rodman. It's athleticism and energy but it's spastic and without "basketball" coordination. It is more like reckless abandon but also seems to work.

Hope he figures out who he is before he gets seriously injured.  Right now he’s fighting for pt and the only tool in his toolbox is his motor. When he is comfortable and competent doing other things, I think the engine will relax a bit. Idling high now till he gets tuned.

[ozgod]

I think with an opportunity, he can show a turnaround like Pritchard did.

He’s got size, length, athleticism and energy.

I think the answer is really that simple - if he gets extended minutes like Pritchard did, he will be able to get himself into a playing rhythm and things will get easier for him, and his confidence will grow. Unfortunately, minutes are a finite resource, especially in our team where we are planning to go on a deep run - and one thing about Ime that has become clear to me is that he doesn't dole out minutes for developmental reasons or to reward players here and there. If you get minutes in his rotation, it's because you earned it or because someone else got injured. Like with Payton - he had to wait till Schroder and JRich got out of the way.

Right now GWill is ahead of Aaron on Ime's 7-8 man rotation, because he has proven himself both as a multiposition defender and a guy who can hit the 3, and now he is expanding his game to being able to attack the basket during closeouts. As for White, he's a multiposition defender who is a solid passer and can handle the ball if needed. And Pritchard has been shooting 50% from 3 in March. So that doesn't leave much minutes for Aaron. All he can do is continue to work hard in practice and when he does get those opportunities.

This completely ignores the Rob injury.  I know ime shortened his rotation early, but no way does he stick with just an eight man rotation, but I expect him to add another player to replace rob.  That player WILL be nesmith imo.  He’ll get a full chance.  Whether he takes advantage of it, we’ll see.

I have no idea what Ime will do. I'm just going off the historical data. In the games that we have played that have been close run affairs in the past month, he has played 8 players when someone has been out (e.g. vs OKC and Dallas). Just that White and GWill seem to end up playing more than 25 minutes instead. He doesn't seem to want to play people 10 mins here and there but he will play someone 20 min when he has been on the bench for the past 10 games. If we lose another player then he will probably play Nesmith a lot of minutes but otherwise he doesn't seem to like playing people small minutes here and there in the interest of "load management".

One thing that is apparent is that Nesmith is the next man up in Ime's trustmeter. That's why he played 40 mins. I guess it's because he's the one who is most used to the defensive and offensive philosophy that the team has been trying to do in the last half season.

[Hoopvortex]

I think with an opportunity, he can show a turnaround like Pritchard did.

He’s got size, length, athleticism and energy.

I think the answer is really that simple - if he gets extended minutes like Pritchard did, he will be able to get himself into a playing rhythm and things will get easier for him, and his confidence will grow. Unfortunately, minutes are a finite resource, especially in our team where we are planning to go on a deep run - and one thing about Ime that has become clear to me is that he doesn't dole out minutes for developmental reasons or to reward players here and there. If you get minutes in his rotation, it's because you earned it or because someone else got injured. Like with Payton - he had to wait till Schroder and JRich got out of the way.

Right now GWill is ahead of Aaron on Ime's 7-8 man rotation, because he has proven himself both as a multiposition defender and a guy who can hit the 3, and now he is expanding his game to being able to attack the basket during closeouts. As for White, he's a multiposition defender who is a solid passer and can handle the ball if needed. And Pritchard has been shooting 50% from 3 in March. So that doesn't leave much minutes for Aaron. All he can do is continue to work hard in practice and when he does get those opportunities.

This completely ignores the Rob injury.  I know ime shortened his rotation early, but no way does he stick with just an eight man rotation, but I expect him to add another player to replace rob.  That player WILL be nesmith imo.  He’ll get a full chance.  Whether he takes advantage of it, we’ll see.

I have no idea what Ime will do. I'm just going off the historical data. In the games that we have played that have been close run affairs in the past month, he has played 8 players when someone has been out (e.g. vs OKC and Dallas). Just that White and GWill seem to end up playing more than 25 minutes instead. He doesn't seem to want to play people 10 mins here and there but he will play someone 20 min when he has been on the bench for the past 10 games. If we lose another player then he will probably play Nesmith a lot of minutes but otherwise he doesn't seem to like playing people small minutes here and there in the interest of "load management".

One thing that is apparent is that Nesmith is the next man up in Ime's trustmeter. That's why he played 40 mins. I guess it's because he's the one who is most used to the defensive and offensive philosophy that the team has been trying to do in the last half season.

I think that’s right. I would only add that the team was short of rotation wings on Monday; and secondly that getting Aaron some burn now will help him be ready to step in when the playoffs come, if necessary. And - perhaps his talent played a role as well.

[Celtics2021]

I think with an opportunity, he can show a turnaround like Pritchard did.

He’s got size, length, athleticism and energy.

I think the answer is really that simple - if he gets extended minutes like Pritchard did, he will be able to get himself into a playing rhythm and things will get easier for him, and his confidence will grow. Unfortunately, minutes are a finite resource, especially in our team where we are planning to go on a deep run - and one thing about Ime that has become clear to me is that he doesn't dole out minutes for developmental reasons or to reward players here and there. If you get minutes in his rotation, it's because you earned it or because someone else got injured. Like with Payton - he had to wait till Schroder and JRich got out of the way.

Right now GWill is ahead of Aaron on Ime's 7-8 man rotation, because he has proven himself both as a multiposition defender and a guy who can hit the 3, and now he is expanding his game to being able to attack the basket during closeouts. As for White, he's a multiposition defender who is a solid passer and can handle the ball if needed. And Pritchard has been shooting 50% from 3 in March. So that doesn't leave much minutes for Aaron. All he can do is continue to work hard in practice and when he does get those opportunities.

This completely ignores the Rob injury.  I know ime shortened his rotation early, but no way does he stick with just an eight man rotation, but I expect him to add another player to replace rob.  That player WILL be nesmith imo.  He’ll get a full chance.  Whether he takes advantage of it, we’ll see.

I have no idea what Ime will do. I'm just going off the historical data. In the games that we have played that have been close run affairs in the past month, he has played 8 players when someone has been out (e.g. vs OKC and Dallas). Just that White and GWill seem to end up playing more than 25 minutes instead. He doesn't seem to want to play people 10 mins here and there but he will play someone 20 min when he has been on the bench for the past 10 games. If we lose another player then he will probably play Nesmith a lot of minutes but otherwise he doesn't seem to like playing people small minutes here and there in the interest of "load management".

One thing that is apparent is that Nesmith is the next man up in Ime's trustmeter. That's why he played 40 mins. I guess it's because he's the one who is most used to the defensive and offensive philosophy that the team has been trying to do in the last half season.

That seems right.  It does seem likely most of the top 8 will get another game or two of rest over the final 7.  If they stagger some of this off days, that could give Nesmith the opportunity to be the 8th man a couple of times, but it’s unlikely Nesmith will get more than garbage time minutes if everyone is healthy and the team is playing well.  Udoka does seem sometimes willing to expand the rotation if he doesn’t like the energy of how the team has played within a game, and Nesmith is a very good candidate to get into a game should those circumstances occur.  We just haven’t seen these low-energy contests in months.

[ozgod]

I think with an opportunity, he can show a turnaround like Pritchard did.

He’s got size, length, athleticism and energy.

I think the answer is really that simple - if he gets extended minutes like Pritchard did, he will be able to get himself into a playing rhythm and things will get easier for him, and his confidence will grow. Unfortunately, minutes are a finite resource, especially in our team where we are planning to go on a deep run - and one thing about Ime that has become clear to me is that he doesn't dole out minutes for developmental reasons or to reward players here and there. If you get minutes in his rotation, it's because you earned it or because someone else got injured. Like with Payton - he had to wait till Schroder and JRich got out of the way.

Right now GWill is ahead of Aaron on Ime's 7-8 man rotation, because he has proven himself both as a multiposition defender and a guy who can hit the 3, and now he is expanding his game to being able to attack the basket during closeouts. As for White, he's a multiposition defender who is a solid passer and can handle the ball if needed. And Pritchard has been shooting 50% from 3 in March. So that doesn't leave much minutes for Aaron. All he can do is continue to work hard in practice and when he does get those opportunities.

This completely ignores the Rob injury.  I know ime shortened his rotation early, but no way does he stick with just an eight man rotation, but I expect him to add another player to replace rob.  That player WILL be nesmith imo.  He’ll get a full chance.  Whether he takes advantage of it, we’ll see.

I have no idea what Ime will do. I'm just going off the historical data. In the games that we have played that have been close run affairs in the past month, he has played 8 players when someone has been out (e.g. vs OKC and Dallas). Just that White and GWill seem to end up playing more than 25 minutes instead. He doesn't seem to want to play people 10 mins here and there but he will play someone 20 min when he has been on the bench for the past 10 games. If we lose another player then he will probably play Nesmith a lot of minutes but otherwise he doesn't seem to like playing people small minutes here and there in the interest of "load management".

One thing that is apparent is that Nesmith is the next man up in Ime's trustmeter. That's why he played 40 mins. I guess it's because he's the one who is most used to the defensive and offensive philosophy that the team has been trying to do in the last half season.

I think that’s right. I would only add that the team was short of rotation wings on Monday; and secondly that getting Aaron some burn now will help him be ready to step in when the playoffs come, if necessary. And - perhaps his talent played a role as well.

I think that rather than getting 5 mins here and there where he has to impact the game immediately, Ime might choose some of our remaining games to give Aaron an extended run where he gets solid minutes (20+) to see his interoperability with different lineups. E.g. if he and Brown are on the floor together, do they tend to like being in the same areas of the court? Do they get in each other's way? What about Aaron and GWill? And so on.

And also, because fans only see the actual games, we don't always put enough weight on what the coaches are seeing in practice. I'm sure they've seen a lot of these guys in practice, in different lineups, and some they liked and others they didn't like, and it's a matter of finding the right game moment to provide the actul litmus test.

[tenn_smoothie]

He couldn't hit water from a boat tonite vs Bucks.
I really like Nesmith and am glad we kept him over Langford, but his shooting has not come around.
Another in a long line of Celtic draft picks who were killer shooters in college and could not transfer that skill to the NBA.
Not sure if it is the slight increase in distance or the quicker defensive pressure that leads to their struggles.
You can't say Danny did not try to find shooters with our draft picks, but we've had a crazy run of bad luck.

[Rondo9]

He couldn't hit water from a boat tonite vs Bucks.
I really like Nesmith and am glad we kept him over Langford, but his shooting has not come around.
Another in a long line of Celtic draft picks who were killer shooters in college and could not transfer that skill to the NBA.
Not sure if it is the slight increase in distance or the quicker defensive pressure that leads to their struggles.
You can't say Danny did not try to find shooters with our draft picks, but we've had a crazy run of bad luck.

So, you're ignoring his last few games?