Many are expecting a major drop-off for the Indiana Pacers this season without Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. However, the team has shown no indications that they want to tank, and Aaron Nesmith can help them remind the basketball world exactly how good they still are.
After making it to the NBA Finals last season, the Pacers' outlook for this season looks bleak. They are going to be without Haliburton, who will miss the entire season due to an Achilles injury, and Turner, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason. Still, Indiana has a talented roster, and it should be able to surprise some people and make noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
As the Pacers look to sneak back into the playoffs and potentially make a run, they will rely on a lot of players in different roles to get the job done.
Most eyes will be on Andrew Nembhard, who is going to slide to the point full-time for Indiana and essentially take on the Haliburton role for a season. Additionally, the Pacers will also rely much more heavily on players like Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson for a variety of other reasons.
Amid all the roster and role changes, however, Nesmith continues to be overlooked as a player who could be in for a career year.
The Vanderbilt alum has been an important part of Indiana's success for a while, but this season, he will have an opportunity to take that next step and make some game-changing developments to his game. Furthermore, with how successful the Pacers were last season, it is easy to forget that Nesmith played just 45 games, a career low.
If Nesmith can stay healthy, he will be able to help the Pacers exceed expectations and contribute in a major way on both sides of the ball.
In a recent episode of the "Locked On Pacers" podcast, Tony East spoke about how crucial a healthy Nesmith is to this team and how his presence should help them be better than many are expecting them to be.
"He missed 35 games, I believe, from game six to the halfway point with that injury he had earlier in the season. That is another not-so-subtle way to think about the Pacers maybe being a little better than people think this year. ... What if he plays 60 games? 21 extra games of Aaron Nesmith, how many wins is that worth, even if you're losing some from obviously losing your point guard and your center from last season?" East said.
Aaron Nesmith makes a big impact for the Pacers when healthy
Nesmith is crucial to Indiana's success for a few reasons. He is an exceptional three-point shooter who can get hot quickly (see his performance against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 2025 conference finals), and he provides a lot of value as the team's best wing defender.
The South Carolina native has established himself as one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA, and his ability to contribute in every area of the game makes him an essential part of the Pacers' roster.
He may never be the best player on the court, but Nesmith is still one of the most important ones in Indiana, and they missed him a lot last season. The Pacers have other wing players and solid 3-and-D options, but none of them can do what Nesmith does at the level and consistency that he does.
Even in a best-case scenario for the Pacers, it will be incredibly difficult for them to make another deep playoff run next year. However, they still have a chance to exceed expectations, and if Nesmith stays healthy, this may not just be a possibility--it may be inevitable.