On Sunday night, Aaron Nesmith had his best game of the season and one of his best in an Indiana Pacers uniform. In a victory over the Chicago Bulls, Nesmith recorded a game-high (and career-high) 27 points on 9-for-16 shooting, five rebounds, and one assist. Furthermore, this was Nesmith's first time surpassing 20 points in a game in over a year (including postseason).
Nesmith has long been a solid player in Indiana, but he has always been a key contributor more than anything else. While he is important to the team's success, many questioned head coach Rick Carlisle's decision to re-insert him into the starting lineup over Bennedict Mathurin, who many believe was more deserving of the spot.
Mathurin missed each of the Pacers' last two games as he is dealing with a wrist injury. Though he is listed as day-to-day, there is no concrete timetable for his return. Until he gets back, Nesmith will look to keep playing his best basketball and prove that Carlisle was right to make him a starter again, which he may have done against the Bulls.
The Pacers recently moved Aaron Nesmith back into the starting lineup
In eight games since becoming a starter again, Nesmith has averaged 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field and 43.9% from the three-point line. Additionally, he has scored 12 or more points in five of those games.
Even when Carlisle made his decision to bench Mathurin in favor of Nesmith, it was clear that it was not meant to be a demotion for the Canadian native. Instead, by doing this, Mathurin now has an opportunity to be a primary scorer off the bench, which may be his best role. Nesmith is arguably a better player to have in the starting lineup since he is a better complementary piece alongside the rest of the starting five. Additionally, he has more defensive value than Mathurin, which is important as well.
It is unclear whether Mathurin will have another shot at cracking the starting lineup this season, but it seems unlikely as it stands. Ultimately, Nesmith was the Pacers' starting small forward during their Eastern Conference Finals run last year, and as the team aims to make another deep playoff run, it is likely that Carlisle simply wants to go back to what worked before.
Whether Mathurin is a better player than Nesmith is a fair discussion. However, it is tough to say that Carlisle made the wrong decision by making this change to the starting lineup, and Nesmith may have solidified this notion thanks to his performance against the Bulls.