Nearly three years ago, the Indiana Pacers made a notable offseason trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics. At the time, Brogdon was fresh off his third season in Indiana and was one of their top players throughout his stint with the team. However, he had injury concerns and was a questionable fit alongside Tyrese Haliburton, which led to the team deciding to ship him out to Boston.
Though Brogdon was technically the centerpiece of the trade, it has not aged that way. In the trade, the Pacers landed Aaron Nesmith, who was considered a fill-in at the time. However, he has developed into an important player on the Pacers' roster. Fortunately for the Pacers, acquiring Nesmith is the gift that keeps on giving, especially after the Vanderbilt alum's latest playoff performance.
Aaron Nesmith continues to ball out in Indiana
On Tuesday night, the Pacers took care of business against the Milwaukee Bucks to take a 2-0 series lead in the first round of the playoffs. While Game 2 was not a blowout win like Game 1 was, it was still a convincing victory for the Pacers, who never trailed in the game. Much of that had to do with Nesmith and his performance on the court.
In the win, Nesmith recorded 16 points on 5-for-9 shooting (including 4-for-5 from the three-point line), two rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 31 minutes. While his performance was solid on its own, it was specifically his play in the first half that stood out and got the Pacers off to a hot start. In just 14 minutes in the first half, Nesmith scored nine points on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Largely due to his red-hot start to the game, the Pacers got off on the right foot and carried that momentum into the rest of the game.
As the Pacers look to eliminate the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs and go on another deep run, they will rely heavily on Nesmith. Nesmith is far from the most valuable player to the Pacers' success, but that does not mean he is not important to what they are doing. The South Carolina native provides a lot of value on both sides of the ball and is a great fit alongside the rest of the Pacers' starting lineup. Getting Nesmith in the Brogdon trade was a great call for Indiana, and it has only continued to look better by the day.