Aaron Nesmith is one of if not the most underappreciated players in the NBA. His blend of shooting and defense is so valuable in an NBA that does not have enough players who are talented in either category. He is, functionally, the ideal modern role player for today's NBA. And the Indiana Pacers have him locked up for the next three years.
This off-season, we wrote an article about how there wasn't a trade that the Pacers could win if Nesmith was involved. Now, obviously that's an exaggeration. If the Pacers could get Luka Doncic in return for their prized wing, they would jump at the opportunity, but it is truly hard to find these types of players who can do so much for a team without getting paid a lot or requiring a lot of upkeep.
That shined through in the Pacers' win against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday evening as Nesmith hit a clutch three to put the game out of reach. The start to the season has already been an incredibly difficult one, and getting a win against a team that was at one point leading the Western Conference is a task worth celebrating.
With so much left to get done, so many games left to play, and so much spacing required for the team's best players to succeed and foster a winning environment, Nesmith will be worth his weight in gold.
The best three-and-D wings in the NBA
Three-and-D has become a bit of a misnomer over the course of the past 10 or so years in the NBA. What once meant a player who was both excellent as a shooter and as a defender now simply means a player who could theoretically do both. This means it has grown to encompass players who really should not be fitting in.
Matisse Thybulle shoots two threes a game, and now he's apparently a sniper based on three-point attempts per minute. Keegan Murray offers none of the shooting or defense he needs, but since he was a top-four pick in that niche, he's listed in the category. Heck, even the Thompson twins have been added in.
No, Aaron Nesmith is the true definition of a three-and-D wing. He is an excellent shooter on decent volume, and arguably the most capable perimeter defender on a team hoping to challenge for a top record in the Eastern Conference.
To go any further beyond what Nesmith is, you would have a star, not a role player.
If we are in the business of praising role players, then maybe we should be praising one of the best in the game, who seems to be all the way back from his hamstring injury.
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