Pacers Report Cards: Grading every Pacers player through the All-Star break
By Mueez Azfar
Aaron Nesmith
Stats: 51 Games, 27.1 MPG, 12.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 1 TOV, 3.3 FPG 51.9/45.2/70.2 Splits on 65.1% TS
2022-23 Stats: 73 Games, 24.9 MPG, 10.1 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG, 1 TOV, 3.2 FPG 42.7/36.6/83.8 Splits on 56.6% TS
I've been waiting for this one.
The first thing that catches the eye when looking at Aaron Nesmith's season is the dramatic jump in efficiency. Nesmith went from a streaky offensive player whose worst nights were hard to watch to one of the most consistent shooters in the NBA, currently ranking fifth in the league in three-point percentage at 45.2%.
In addition to the shooting improvements, Nesmith has overall been a better offensive player this year, becoming a far more fluid dribbler and increasing his true shooting percentage and two-point percentage by almost ten points.
The defensive side is where things get tricky. By the numbers, Nesmith hasn't exactly been a lights-out defender this year, but there is plenty of context involved. For one, Nesmith spent most of the season before the Siakam trade playing power forward, guarding larger, stronger players despite his 6-foot-5 frame.
As a result, Nesmith found himself to be quite foul-prone, with his 3.3 fouls per game ranking fifth in the league and first among all non-big men. Since the Siakam trade, however, he has been given the chance to revert to his original small forward position and has done fantastic as a result, averaging 15.2 points on 54% from the field and 43.5% from beyond the arc in the 14 games since the trade, not including the game in which he was injured.
Hopefully, his recent injury suffered in the Toronto game doesn't sideline him for long, as his hustle, defense, and shooting ability have been a key part of the Pacers' success this season, and they will certainly need him at 100% for the second half of the season.