When the Indiana Pacers acquired Aaron Nesmith in 2022, he was considered more of a throw-in in the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics rather than an asset. However, now in his third season in Indiana, the South Carolina native is playing a crucial role in the team's success.
Nesmith made his name as a solid 3-and-D player who brings high energy whenever he steps on the court. While this still holds true, he has also improved beyond that and is a far more complete basketball player. Nesmith is not as important as the rest of the Pacers' starting five, but given his recent development, he is still necessary if the team wants to win a championship this June.
Aaron Nesmith has improved drastically as a rebounder
Nesmith has always been a decent rebounder, but it was never anything to write home about. At 6-foot-5, Nesmith has good size, but he averages 3.8 rebounds per game in his Pacers tenure (3.2 rebounds per game all-time if you want to include his Celtics stats). However, in each of his last two games, he has grabbed six and seven rebounds, respectively. In both games he at least tied for second-most rebounds for the Pacers.
After the Pacers' victory over the Clippers on Sunday, Nesmith revealed that the team has emphasized crashing the glass, which is something that has greatly benefited himself and the team.
"It's just something that we emphasize," Nesmith said of crashing the glass. "It's something that I know I'm pretty good at. I'm trying to focus on doing that more. It's a good way to help me get into the game early. It's a good energy play to pick up energy for everybody and myself."
In each of the Pacers' two games after the All-Star break, they grabbed 46 rebounds as a team. This is 4.4 more rebounds than their average.
It is no secret that the Pacers are one of the worst rebounding teams in the NBA, as only the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets grab fewer rebounds per game. While this is unlikely to change this season, it is still promising that the Pacers are improving in this area, and it is in large part thanks to Nesmith's growth.
With less than two months remaining in the regular season, it is encouraging for Pacers fans to see the team turn into one of the most complete teams in the league. They remain an elite offensive team and have drastically improved on the defensive side of the ball. As it stands, the Pacers are likely to make another deep playoff run. They are already a feared playoff opponent and have an opportunity to secure home-court advantage. There is a lot of basketball left, but the Pacers are turning into legitimate title contenders, if they are not already there.