Aaron Nesmith certainly didn't have the best offensive game of his career during the Indiana Pacers' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night as he shot 1-for-9 from the field and scored seven points.
However, this game shouldn't take away from how important he is to Indiana's success, and head coach Rick Carlisle made sure to remind everyone about that after the loss (h/t Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar.com).
"From an effort standpoint, purely what we're about as a team, he embodied all that tonight. ... A lot of players would get discouraged, hang their head and their effort would wane. That's not how he's built. He's always the same in terms of his attention to detail, how hard he's going, helping teammates off the floor, being encouraging, being positive. Guys like that are going to have the basketball gods on their side," Rick Carlisle said about Aaron Nesmith after Monday night's game.
Aaron Nesmith is an important part of the Pacers' success
This season hasn't always been pretty for Nesmith, who has been tasked with taking on a bigger role in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, and Bennedict Mathurin. He is shooting 35.2% from the field (career-low) and 35% from deep on 7.1 attempts per game (Pacers career-low).
Regardless, the Vanderbilt alum's impact always went beyond his shooting, and he is proving that this season.
Nesmith is also averaging a career-high 5.3 rebounds (which includes a season-high 11 boards against Philadelphia), and he dished out a career-high eight assists against the Orlando Magic on Jan. 4. He is also continuing to play with the energy fans have grown to love from him, and he gives it his all defensively.
The South Carolina native might never develop into anything more than what he already is, but that might not be a bad thing. He is still a fantastic 3-and-D player who is a perfect fit in the Pacers' system and will likely stick around for the long haul after he signed a two-year, $40.4 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2028-29 season.
Nesmith has been one of the most important players to the Pacers' success, and that is not likely to change anytime soon. He may not always be on his A-game, but virtually nobody on the team is this season. There is a lot to like about the value he brings in every area of the game, and as Indiana looks to re-enter the title picture as soon as next season, he will continue to play a big role in their success.