If there was one consistent belief that was shared by the entirety of the Indiana Pacers fan base this offseason, it would be that last season's gap year was not replicable because there was no way that the Pacers would be hit with the same level of bad injury luck. It seemed obvious and assumable that players who had previously been iron men would be able to return to that level.
At the top of this list was Aaron Nesmith, who played just 45 games last year. However, Nesmith's perception as anything less than a massively injury-prone player is being dispelled once again.
In his first two years with the Pacers, Nesmith played 73 and 72 games, respectively. Since then, he has played 45 games in a season twice, including the year Indiana made the Finals.
When he plays, he is one of the best 3-and-D role players in the entire NBA. With his blend of shooting and defense, it's hard to find a more capable fourth starter and quality complementary player.
However, having missed multiple games so far this season with a hamstring injury, and now being sidelined with a hand sprain, Indiana is finding it harder and harder to rely on the player they are paying to be a constant contributor.
The type of injury doesn't matter; the time missed does
So far this season, the Pacers have been hit harder by the injury bug than any other team. They have lost their franchise star in Tyrese Haliburton for multiple games with a hamstring strain, and have seen their depth depleted by constant nagging disruptions. There was even a game where they fielded only six active players, three of whom were on two-way contracts.
That aforementioned expectation that injury luck could not stay this bad is one born of both hope and delusion. While injuries can strike at any time, it remains true that some players struggle to deal with the wear and tear of a full season. It seems like Nesmith is one of those guys.
While he's not playing any more minutes than usual, Nesmith has been getting to the line decidedly more than in his healthier seasons. Maybe this increased physicality that comes with adding an admittedly important skill in foul baiting is not worth the increased damage his body takes.
Indiana is coming off a shocking win against the defending champion New York Knicks on Friday night. They will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon, with Nesmith as a game-time decision.
With so little security in his ability to be available for a whole season, Indiana will have to start looking at the Vanderbilt wing as the inconsistent commodity he is proving to be.
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