If it wasn't clear before Game 1, it's clear now: Aaron Nesmith has developed into an elite 3-and-D player and is one of the best in the game. Nesmith has always brought great energy and solid defense, even back in his Boston Celtics days. However, the Vanderbilt alum has greatly improved as a three-point shooter, and that improvement has climbed him up the ladder and made him one of the top 3-and-D guys in the NBA.
Aaron Nesmith's improvement as a three-point shooter can't go unnoticed
During his two seasons in Boston, Nesmith shot 31.8% from the three-point line on 2.3 attempts per game. This includes a 27% mark during his second season. Nesmith was a good three-point shooter in college, but that did not translate to the league right away, which was a big reason the Celtics traded him to the Indiana Pacers.
After joining the Pacers, however, Nesmith's shots started falling more often, largely due to his increased opportunities. In three full seasons with the Pacers so far, Nesmith is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc. Additionally, through 11 postseason games up to this point, he is shooting 53.8% off the heels of his incredible Game 1 performance against the New York Knicks.
The Pacers stole Game 1 away from New York, who had a 14-point lead with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. It was ultimately a team effort, but without Nesmith's late-game heroics, the Pacers would not have had an opportunity to pull off the comeback.
Now that he has solidified himself as a legitimate sharpshooter, Nesmith has become an elite 3-and-D player that Indiana relies on heavily. The South Carolina native makes a major impact on both sides of the ball, and he is crucial to the Pacers' success. As it stands, there are few players in the NBA who can do what Nesmith does at the level he does it at, and that is a dangerous thought for Indiana's opponents given that he is arguably their fifth-best player.
Nesmith is still just 25 years old and likely has not hit his peak yet. He still has time to develop and refine his game even more. Regardless, he has already made it clear that he is one of the Pacers' most important players. A few years ago, it would have been a crazy thought to think that Nesmith would be a valuable player on a Pacers team that's just three wins away from an NBA Finals appearance, but that's where we are, and all the credit goes to the man himself for his improvements and development that have turned him into a valuable player in the league.