C's pick Aaron Nesmith #14 overall

RetractableRoof

tolerates intolerance
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 1, 2003
3,836
Quincy, MA
Nesmith was a +50 in 8 games when the team went 3-5 (the team was a -13)?
He was 8/19 from 3, maybe warming up to the NBA with an uptick in minutes

In the 2nd to last game before the hiatus, Nesmith puts up 13pts in 14mins against Atlanta, then 7 mins next game, then stapled to the bench, DNPs galore.

In Aarons first DNP, Brad decided to start Javonte for 33mins, play Semi for 18mins, Grant for 6mins (Teague for 21mins)

Sorry but WTF. Just rip the confidence right out of the kid by zeroing him with minutes

The Bench has been crap this year, but Brad has been just as crappy developing it.
On the surface, you are right. The issue, is that we don't know what is below the surface - including practice performance, or team meetings? I dunno, but Brad is too deliberate for that to have happened without something to hang his hat on. Maybe something as innocuous as a bad matchup in Brad's mind, which led to a decision in a second game, followed by...

Again, on the surface I agree.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 24, 2002
48,205
Blaming Stevens for Nesmith's struggles is interesting but its worth considering. Its not my default view because young players are going to struggle and produce inconsistent results in the NBA, regardless of talent.

That said, aside from someone like an Abdel Nader or a PJ Dozier,-and its probably not fair to include the latter given how briefly he was with Boston - I am having a hard time thinking of young players that went on to show big improvement after leaving the Stevens era Cs. I also don't count Rozier as I think Stevens gets some credit for his usage and development with Boston.
 
Last edited:

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
On the surface, you are right. The issue, is that we don't know what is below the surface - including practice performance, or team meetings? I dunno, but Brad is too deliberate for that to have happened without something to hang his hat on. Maybe something as innocuous as a bad matchup in Brad's mind, which led to a decision in a second game, followed by...

Again, on the surface I agree.
Also... he's developed a lot, and Brad has done a very good job generally in developing rookies through their first years, with different approaches. I mean, last year he took Grant and Romeo and made them into playoff pieces (and Grant was a legit useful one) using a similar approach to the one he's used for Nesmith.

I think the idea that because of some single game plus minuses for a low usage bench player he was playing well is dubious.
Even more dubious is the idea that Brad held him back by putting him on the bench. If anything, history tells us that just playing lost young guys is often not a particularly good way of developing them, and in fact having to fight it out with vets and win you playing time by doing the right things in practice and on the court are important.

When I looked at Nesmith, I saw a guy who was not making the right decisions, even if sometimes they worked out. I would guess Brad did too, and that's a reason he was sat down. As everyone has noted, the biggest difference in Nesmith this last run out has been that he is not lost on D, and he's more active, and properly positioned on offense. Sitting and watching helped him in a way that flailing around on the court wasn't.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Blaming Stevens for Nesmith's struggles is interesting but its worth considering. Its not my default view because young players are going to struggle and produce inconsistent results in the NBA, regardless of talent.

That said, aside from someone like an Abdel Nader or a PJ Dozier,-and its probably not fair to include the latter given how briefly he was with Boston - I am having a hard time thinking of young players that went on to show big improvement after leaving the Stevens era Cs. I also don't count Rozier as I think Stevens gets some credit for his usage and development with Boston.
I'm guessing you can say this about every coach because any player worth it gets re-signed. The ones that don't go on to wash out. See Demetrius Jackson, Jordan Mickey, RJ Hunter, Kadeem Allen, Phil Pressey.

KO is still KO. Jared had health issues.

Dwight Powell, Abdel Nader, Dozier and Rozier got better. Also I'm not sure you can blame Stevens for players getting better when they leave or Ainge for getting rid of said players... or if they are even worth re-signing/keeping outside of Rozier really. They are all pretty marginal.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
On the surface, you are right. The issue, is that we don't know what is below the surface - including practice performance, or team meetings? I dunno, but Brad is too deliberate for that to have happened without something to hang his hat on. Maybe something as innocuous as a bad matchup in Brad's mind, which led to a decision in a second game, followed by...

Again, on the surface I agree.
yea, I suffer from Incomplete Information...if we subscribe to that theory then every NBA Coach/GM are batting a 1000, and the look back will be rationalized away by those in charge.

Any matchup where Javonte Green is starting and playing 33 mins is plenty enough information IMO

If we follow the Beane/Howe/Moneyball conspiracy joke, Green/Teague/Theis sent out for Kornet fits the mold ;)....I know, I know it was done for $$$

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2021/03/14/celtics-aaron-nesmith-playing-time-brad-stevens-quote
 
Last edited:

Jimbodandy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2006
11,405
around the way
A significant point in Romeo and Grant's favor is that their Year 1 and Year 2 don't really fit with anything we have seen in NBA history. Between the long layoff, the bubble, no summer league, and a shortened schedule... that's a really weird 2 years.

With Romeo especially, he has had the injury and had COVID, plus less college experience. Year 3 might be equivalent to Year 2.

Grant has had a pretty significant amount of playing time in 2 seasons and a lot more college experience, so might not apply to him as much.
I agree with this completely (and lovegtm's response). Grant has to transform his body in some way to ever be useful. He's a tweener in the bad way right now. But Romeo needs to heal, get coaching and practice, and then get reps next year. Then we'll know what we have. It's just not useful to judge him after this last year of weirdness.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,494
That said, aside from someone like an Abdel Nader or a PJ Dozier,-and its probably not fair to include the latter given how briefly he was with Boston - I am having a hard time thinking of young players that went on to show big improvement after leaving the Stevens era Cs.
Hard to blame Brad for not developing players who had to leave because of roster crunches. In fact, I think both Brad and Danny should be given credit for recognizing that both were NBA-caliber players. IIRC, people were dumbstruck that DA drafted Nader.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
Hard to blame Brad for not developing players who had to leave because of roster crunches. In fact, I think both Brad and Danny should be given credit for recognizing that both were NBA-caliber players. IIRC, people were dumbstruck that DA drafted Nader.
wasn't he a late 2nd rounder?

Don't some players request not to be drafted in the 2nd since they'd rather go undrafted and have their choice (ie FVV)

I imagine the pickings are slim at the end of the 2nd round for any to be questioned
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Nesmith was a +50 in 8 games when the team went 3-5 (the team was a -13)?
He was 8/19 from 3, maybe warming up to the NBA with an uptick in minutes

In the 2nd to last game before the hiatus, Nesmith puts up 13pts in 14mins against Atlanta, then 7 mins next game, then stapled to the bench, DNPs galore.

In Aarons first DNP, Brad decided to start Javonte for 33mins, play Semi for 18mins, Grant for 6mins (Teague for 21mins)

Sorry but WTF. Just rip the confidence right out of the kid by zeroing him with minutes

The Bench has been crap this year, but Brad has been just as crappy developing it.
I mean +/- aside he was prancing around like a lost deer in the those games and jogged up and down the court aimlessly in the final one. But +/- I guess.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,494
wasn't he a late 2nd rounder?

Don't some players request not to be drafted in the 2nd since they'd rather go undrafted and have their choice (ie FVV)

I imagine the pickings are slim at the end of the 2nd round for any to be questioned
Yeah he was #58 and going from memory, I don't think anyone knew who he was as he averaged something like 15 ppg for IA State.

Cs had a deal with him to go to D-League - that was the year the Cs made 6 draft picks - and after he was drafted there was some drama as to whether he would go. https://www.celticslife.com/2016/06/celtics-roster-crunch-guerschon.html.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
Yeah, Grant has been given enough run that I think I'd be guilty of homer-ism/wishful thinking if I were positive on him at this point.

Romeo is almost the opposite--given the circumstances and what he's shown, it feels analytically wrong/dishonest to be really low on him.
Why the eagerness to pass judgment on anyone prior to their first "real" offeason? That's usually thought of as a key milestone and a key point at which players are supposed to make gains?

Maybe this is part of what @DeJesus Built My Hotrod was getting at recently, but what is the advantage to making a snap judgment now. He's done some good things and bad ones thus far in his career, and what he ultimately turns out to be will depend on whether he's able to make offseason gains. I think that, at worst, he's a smallball C who can play well in situations where that is useful.
Nesmith was a +50 in 8 games when the team went 3-5 (the team was a -13)?
He was 8/19 from 3, maybe warming up to the NBA with an uptick in minutes

In the 2nd to last game before the hiatus, Nesmith puts up 13pts in 14mins against Atlanta, then 7 mins next game, then stapled to the bench, DNPs galore.
The difference between then and now is that, in the past 2 games he's been an impact player whose play forced Stevens to keep him on the floor. He has flashed at various times before Wednesday night, but in these past 2 games he did more than that. Something clicked. I'm not saying he did nothing good before.
Dwight Powell, Abdel Nader, Dozier and Rozier got better. Also I'm not sure you can blame Stevens for players getting better when they leave or Ainge for getting rid of said players... or if they are even worth re-signing/keeping outside of Rozier really. They are all pretty marginal.
Guys like Nader and Dozier weren't going to get enough time to improve here. Powell was dealt as part of the deal that sent Rondo out and brought Crowder and some draft picks that didn't amount to much here.
 

Imbricus

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 26, 2017
4,810
Yeah he was #58 and going from memory, I don't think anyone knew who he was as he averaged something like 15 ppg for IA State.
I remember cringing every time Nader came into the game when he was here. I guess he's a respectable reserve now (haven't watched him really), but man, did he look bad in Boston.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
GRant is interesting... his year last year was much like Nesmith's this year... started terrible, sat a bit, came back and was a solid bench small 5 getting playoff minutes for a team that made the ECF.....
then he regressed badly on D this year.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Guys like Nader and Dozier weren't going to get enough time to improve here. Powell was dealt as part of the deal that sent Rondo out and brought Crowder and some draft picks that didn't amount to much here.
And if they were here, we'd hate them. They probably still wouldn't get consistent minutes here. That's kinda my point. They improved, but they still aren't guys you want getting any real minutes. They are some other team's Semi and Grant Williams.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
GRant is interesting... his year last year was much like Nesmith's this year... started terrible, sat a bit, came back and was a solid bench small 5 getting playoff minutes for a team that made the ECF.....
then he regressed badly on D this year.
Sometimes what you think happened, never actually happened.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willigr01/gamelog/2020

When was he benched? One could argue the small stretch at the end of November and early December he was playing less, but still getting far more consistent play than Nesmith.

And Nesmith:
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nesmiaa01/gamelog/2021

not remotely alike.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
I mean +/- aside he was prancing around like a lost deer in the those games and jogged up and down the court aimlessly in the final one. But +/- I guess.
I haven't witnessed much aimless jogging, he's hustled more than any guy on this team this season. It's been noticeable.

Yea I'm not saying +/- is a reason to up his minutes but to go from 20mpg for 2 weeks to nothing but pine for 2 weeks because Payton Pritchard is also playing in the 2nd unit is weaksauce.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
I haven't witnessed much aimless jogging, he's hustled more than any guy on this team this season. It's been noticeable.

Yea I'm not saying +/- is a reason to up his minutes but to go from 20mpg for 2 weeks to nothing but pine for 2 weeks because Payton Pritchard is also playing in the 2nd unit is weaksauce.
Early in the year on offense he was wandering around lost or parked in one spot not moving at all, it was noticeable. And getting a run of minutes because a bunch of people are out or ineffective then going right back to the bench is the life of a rookie on a playoff team.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
Langford and Nesmith aren't directly comparable, IMO, even though they are both similar-sized wings. Langford, if he pans out, will be more of a ball handler/creator. Nesmith will be more of an off-ball guy, I think, better prepared to fit in on a team with a number of guys who handle the ball and create offense. Nesmith can play alongside JT and JB and take open threes, drive closeouts, back cut, crash the boards, etc. Those are the types of positive offensive plays he's made in the last couple of games.

Langford, to the limited extent he's made positive offensive plays this year, has tended to do it with the ball. He made a couple of good plays as PNR ballhandler in the game where he played point, for example.

That's a harder road on a team with JB, JT, Smart, Kemba, and Fournier. Langford's short term role, to the extent he'll not just be stapled to the bench, will be via defense, where I think they are also different, Langford having flashed more on man D, Nesmith on help/off-ball D.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
Early in the year on offense he was wandering around lost or parked in one spot not moving at all, it was noticeable. And getting a run of minutes because a bunch of people are out or ineffective then going right back to the bench is the life of a rookie on a playoff team.
Parking guys in the corner with JT/JB going ISO at the top has been the staple of the Celtics offense to start the year.

Someone(Brad) needs to explain starting/playing Javonte Green for 33mins. JG is/was/will always be nothing more than a 15th man on an NBA roster, incredibly limited upside. The whole point is to build towards the playoffs, giving valuable minutes to JG is coaching malpractice.

The same stuff HRB is/was saying about Nesmith is the exact same things that were said about TimeLord by some earlier this season. Lost on defense/offense, deer in headlights, jogging, etc.
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
Parking guys in the corner with JT/JB going ISO at the top has been the staple of the Celtics offense to start the year.

Someone(Brad) needs to explain starting/playing Javonte Green for 33mins. JG is/was/will always be nothing more than a 15th man on an NBA roster, incredibly limited upside. The whole point is to build towards the playoffs, giving valuable minutes to JG is coaching malpractice.

The same stuff HRB is/was saying about Nesmith is the exact same things that were said about TimeLord by some earlier this season. Lost on defense/offense, deer in headlights, jogging, etc.
Javonte was better than Nesmith earlier in the season, and in an earn your minutes system should have been getting time. Also they have different uses, Green was an on-ball defense guard, and a guy who went to the hoop for dunks in transition.

I don't really get your issue. Nesmith played... he was bad, Brad took him out of the rotation to learn things... he came back much better on both ends. To me that's great coaching, he found the correct approach to make the player better.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
The same stuff HRB is/was saying about Nesmith is the exact same things that were said about TimeLord by some earlier this season. Lost on defense/offense, deer in headlights, jogging, etc.
This might not be the strong argument you think it is.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
The same stuff HRB is/was saying about Nesmith is the exact same things that were said about TimeLord by some earlier this season. Lost on defense/offense, deer in headlights, jogging, etc.
People said the same about Grant Williams and Tremont Waters too.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,494
I remember cringing every time Nader came into the game when he was here. I guess he's a respectable reserve now (haven't watched him really), but man, did he look bad in Boston.
Yeah, he was pretty raw when he was with BOS. He was playing regularly for PHO earlier this year but no more. Apparently, he had a knee injury.

He's shooting .420 from 3P though. Wonder how much longer he'll play in the NBA. He's made almost $6M playing basketball so he has that going for him.
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
Green did play better than Nesmith early, no worries about him getting those minutes.

The question to ask is about the off-season: Green is a fringe 15th man, and it was always a bad choice to keep him with no upside. But once you do (and forgo Bane etc.) you have to play the guy who earns the minutes
 

Cellar-Door

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2006
34,460
Green did play better than Nesmith early, no worries about him getting those minutes.

The question to ask is about the off-season: Green is a fringe 15th man, and it was always a bad choice to keep him with no upside. But once you do (and forgo Bane etc.) you have to play the guy who earns the minutes
He was kept because he was on a 1 year deal and was a player who could easily be cut or included in a trade when a deal came along or we wanted to add a buyout. We had enough roster spots tied up in contracts through 2022, and were close enough to the tax line we didn't want to cross that he made an ideal 15th man over a draft pick that came with a higher $ and year comittment.
Also as has been discussed roughly 100000000x on this board, the Celtics didn't choose Green over keeping that pick, it was always going, the Celtics couldn't manage more long term rookie deals, and needed to shed salary as cheaply as possible.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 26, 2005
30,494
He was kept because he was on a 1 year deal and was a player who could easily be cut or included in a trade when a deal came along or we wanted to add a buyout. We had enough roster spots tied up in contracts through 2022, and were close enough to the tax line we didn't want to cross that he made an ideal 15th man over a draft pick that came with a higher $ and year comittment.
Also as has been discussed roughly 100000000x on this board, the Celtics didn't choose Green over keeping that pick, it was always going, the Celtics couldn't manage more long term rookie deals, and needed to shed salary as cheaply as possible.
Also, his contract was non-guaranteed at the beginning of the year so that gave the Cs some flexibility in case GH came back.
 

PedroKsBambino

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 17, 2003
31,191
As has been discussed—and I would have thought proven by now but I guess one can always be surprised—that was a mistake.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
It would have been Green or Strus. Strus is totally fungible.

The pick was traded to get rid of Kanter and even if the C's kept the pick, they probably don't pick Bane anyway. It's rich to assume the C's pick the best possible player at 30 just because Memphis did. They could have just as easily picked Daniel Oturu, Tyler Bey.

The draft is weird, people will assume Ainge would take Bane but then complain he selected Waters over Jalen McDaniels. Ainge often misses on later picks, like every other single GM. But when they trade a pick and the other team ends up with a good player, of course Ainge would have selected that player and not some bum like Carsen Edwards.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
It would have been Green or Strus. Strus is totally fungible.

The pick was traded to get rid of Kanter and even if the C's kept the pick, they probably don't pick Bane anyway. It's rich to assume the C's pick the best possible player at 30 just because Memphis did. They could have just as easily picked Daniel Oturu, Tyler Bey.

The draft is weird, people will assume Ainge would take Bane but then complain he selected Waters over Jalen McDaniels. Ainge often misses on later picks, like every other single GM. But when they trade a pick and the other team ends up with a good player, of course Ainge would have selected that player and not some bum like Carsen Edwards.
Bane was basically mocked in the top 25 and was on many pre-draft lists around here. He was good value at 30. Can never have enough wings.

OR they could drafted Xavier Tillman (another Nighthob/Darwin favorite) and also kept Kanter.

The point is there were many options, Danny's hands weren't tied for the 1,000,000,000X

While he wasn't the Celtics' first choice, TT has been solid for the money they cleared for him.

https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/?year-mock=2020
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,096
Bane was basically mocked in the top 25 and was on many pre-draft lists around here. He was good value at 30. Can never have enough wings.

OR they could drafted Xavier Tillman (another Nighthob/Darwin favorite) and also kept Kanter.

The point is there were many options, Danny's hands weren't tied for the 1,000,000,000X

While he wasn't the Celtics' first choice, TT has been solid for the money they cleared for him.

https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/?year-mock=2020
Ainge clearly was intrigued by Bane as the Celtics were his first pre-draft interview. It’s fair to assume Ainge wasn’t impressed and wasn’t going to be selecting him even in the 2R.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
3rd good game in a row. Now shooting .438/.382/.700.

I can't wait to see him next season. The C's could be considerably better without much player movement with a big year from Nesmith next season. Still hope to see considerable movement though. I also hope they hold on to Nesmith but he's going to have actual trade value this summer.

He's looking like the player we were all hoping he'd be at the beginning of the year.
 

slamminsammya

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
9,154
San Francisco
3rd good game in a row. Now shooting .438/.382/.700.

I can't wait to see him next season. The C's could be considerably better without much player movement with a big year from Nesmith next season. Still hope to see considerable movement though. I also hope they hold on to Nesmith but he's going to have actual trade value this summer.

He's looking like the player we were all hoping he'd be at the beginning of the year.
This seems like the biggest development this past week.
 

Jed Zeppelin

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2008
51,291
3rd good game in a row. Now shooting .438/.382/.700.

I can't wait to see him next season. The C's could be considerably better without much player movement with a big year from Nesmith next season. Still hope to see considerable movement though. I also hope they hold on to Nesmith but he's going to have actual trade value this summer.

He's looking like the player we were all hoping he'd be at the beginning of the year.
Barring a legit star all-in kind of addition they’ll almost certainly be better off keeping him. They need all the useful players on cheap contracts they can get.

At this point I’m just hoping he gets through this unlucky season unscathed and healthy to enjoy the benefits of a full NBA offseason.
 

lovegtm

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 30, 2013
11,997
It's ridiculous how much calmer his lower body looks now when he's shooting.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
Only 20 minutes tonight, but that was largely because he picked up 3 first half fouls.

They need to find as much time for him as they can down the stretch, which should not be hard.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,375
3rd good game in a row. Now shooting .438/.382/.700.

I can't wait to see him next season. The C's could be considerably better without much player movement with a big year from Nesmith next season. Still hope to see considerable movement though. I also hope they hold on to Nesmith but he's going to have actual trade value this summer.

He's looking like the player we were all hoping he'd be at the beginning of the year.
Yeah for sure. Last three games:

vs Cha: 6-12, 2-5 3 pt, 9 reb, 15 pts, 5 pf
vs SA: 7-9, 2-3 3 pt, 6 reb, 16 pts, 5 pf
vs Por: 6-7, 4-4 3 pt, 4 reb, 16 pts, 5 pf

TOT: 19-28 (67.9%), 8-12 (66.7%) 3 pt, 19 reb, 47 pts, 15 pf

So the fouls are a thing, and it's due to his aggressiveness, which is helping him out in other areas but is a quick way back to the bench. And obviously he won't maintain this level of shooting, because it's superhuman. But clearly he's improved a ton and is playing with comfort and confidence and aggressiveness. He's making a ton of quality plays and is putting the ball in the hole.
 

128

Member
SoSH Member
May 4, 2019
10,016
Barring a legit star all-in kind of addition they’ll almost certainly be better off keeping him. They need all the useful players on cheap contracts they can get.

At this point I’m just hoping he gets through this unlucky season unscathed and healthy to enjoy the benefits of a full NBA offseason.
Yeah, I haven't give up on this season, though things are looking bleak, but Nesmith's emergence gives me hope for 2021-22 and beyond.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,112
Santa Monica
Nesmith just needs more consistent minutes & shots.

And this isn't baseball where the pitchers will adjust. In fact, if teams do adjust to cover Nesmith tighter that will open up the lane, even more, for the Jays

Between him and a healing Fournier yesterday, I see faint glimmers of hope here for the playoffs.

With Kemba out this is a good time for Brad to experiment with a 5-wide lineup: Jay, Jay, Smart, Nesmith, Fournier
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
So the fouls are a thing, and it's due to his aggressiveness, which is helping him out in other areas but is a quick way back to the bench. And obviously he won't maintain this level of shooting, because it's superhuman. But clearly he's improved a ton and is playing with comfort and confidence and aggressiveness. He's making a ton of quality plays and is putting the ball in the hole.
Nesmith just needs more consistent minutes & shots.

And this isn't baseball where the pitchers will adjust. In fact, if teams do adjust to cover Nesmith tighter that will open up the lane, even more, for the Jays

Between him and a healing Fournier yesterday, I see faint glimmers of hope here for the playoffs.
Yes to both of these. The 'game' he brings now complements the stars: spot up shooting, offensive rebounding, loose balls, back cuts. A player who does those things reliably makes Tatum and Brown better.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
So the fouls are a thing, and it's due to his aggressiveness, which is helping him out in other areas but is a quick way back to the bench. And obviously he won't maintain this level of shooting, because it's superhuman. But clearly he's improved a ton and is playing with comfort and confidence and aggressiveness. He's making a ton of quality plays and is putting the ball in the hole.
They are a thing but he seems to reel it in when he needs to. As others noted, he played the last 10 or so minutes in the Spurs game with 5 fouls. He's also played a decent amount of minutes. Picking up 5 fouls in 30 minutes isn't ideal but it's not Grant Williams picking up 4 fouls in 14 minutes. He's also a rookie figuring out what he can and can't get away with so those fouls should reduce with experience.

His emergence the last 3 games is such a huge shot in the arm for the team going forward and for next year's projections.

I think some of us are afraid to say what we are really thinking re: his ceiling. His ceiling is made of glass and his 3 point shot is a potential hammer. It's a 3 game sample of good play and his college stats are SSS, but he was considered the best shooter of his class and his SSS numbers are absurd.
 

Light-Tower-Power

ask me about My Pillow
SoSH Member
Jun 14, 2013
15,947
Nashua, NH
I think some of us are afraid to say what we are really thinking re: his ceiling. His ceiling is made of glass and his 3 point shot is a potential hammer. It's a 3 game sample of good play and his college stats are SSS, but he was considered the best shooter of his class and his SSS numbers are absurd.
Maybe I'm pulling a Tommy, but a slightly shorter Khris Middleton is my estimation of his ceiling.
 

Jimbodandy

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 31, 2006
11,405
around the way
They are a thing but he seems to reel it in when he needs to. As others noted, he played the last 10 or so minutes in the Spurs game with 5 fouls. He's also played a decent amount of minutes. Picking up 5 fouls in 30 minutes isn't ideal but it's not Grant Williams picking up 4 fouls in 14 minutes. He's also a rookie figuring out what he can and can't get away with so those fouls should reduce with experience.

His emergence the last 3 games is such a huge shot in the arm for the team going forward and for next year's projections.

I think some of us are afraid to say what we are really thinking re: his ceiling. His ceiling is made of glass and his 3 point shot is a potential hammer. It's a 3 game sample of good play and his college stats are SSS, but he was considered the best shooter of his class and his SSS numbers are absurd.
I don't want to go too bonkers about SSS on top of SSS. But seeing how much that pro shooting coaches did for Jayson, Jaylen, Smart, Semi, and even Grant...it's pretty damn intriguing to wonder about where Nesmith could be after a normal offseason, camp, and something resembling a normal regular season.

P.s. hopefully Larranaga doesn't go anywhere
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Maybe I'm pulling a Tommy, but a slightly shorter Khris Middleton is my estimation of his ceiling.
They went to the same high school and Middleton loves his game so people make that comparison. I can maybe see it, but they weren't that similar in college.

Middleton shot .321 from 3 in college, 92/287 in 87 games. He was .431/.321/.768 overall. He also passed the ball considerably more. He wasn't considered much of a prospect and wasn't selected until 39th.
Nesmith shot .410 from 3 in college, 119/290 in 46 games. He was .442/.410/.825 overall. He only played 14 games his sophomore year, but his 115 attempts that year were more attempts than Middleton made in any of his 3 college seasons.


We would all love for Nesmith to turn into Middleton, and at this point, Nesmith is probably further along (this literally means nothing). Middleton is another guy who hardly played his rookie year and wasn't very good. I also completely forget he started his career in Detroit and I'm a Middleton fanboy.

Nesmith was 60/115 in 14 games his sophomore year before the injury. While I doubt he or anyone alive could ever keep that pace, it's possible calling him the best shooter of his draft class is a huge understatement. We don't really know and I can't wait to find out. I hope it's with the C's.

Again, it's only 3 games and SoSH legend Jordan Poole had a 7 game stretch that puts it to shame so I'm trying not to read too much into it. It's a far better 3 game stretch than Semi, Grant, or Romeo have been able to string together. Maybe PP too, I'd have to look.
 

Eddie Jurak

canderson-lite
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2002
44,475
Melrose, MA
Nice article about Nesmith's imprvement in BSJ today.

https://www.bostonsportsjournal.com/2021/05/03/closer-look-aaron-nesmiths-3-point-shooting-feel-celtics-looking/

One of the reasons the Celtics liked him was his natural feel for the game and where to get his shots. In true shooter fashion, Nesmith has developed a nose for knowing where to be and when in order to get himself a shot.
For example...
As Jaylen Brown drives, Nesmith slides deeper and deeper into the corner to give Brown an out if he needs it. Once he realizes that Brown has gotten himself into trouble, he relocates to a spot where he and Brown know is the only bailout. Brown threw a pass that was more hopeful than intentional, and Nesmith wasn’t just able to get to it, he slid in rhythm so he could catch and rise up.
This is a set play the Celtics have started running for Nesmith. It starts with what’s know as pistol action on the right side and a stagger screen from the wing (in this case, Romeo Langford) and the big. In this play, Nesmith recognizes the defender coming around the Robert Williams screen and challenging him on his right side. Nesmith makes a simple slide to the left after the catch to give himself a little more space to get the shot off.

This is excellent feel and a quick adjustment. He’s taking that left/right step into his shot, but it also acts a side step.
Also, Tatum looks for Nesmith.
Tatum has made a habit of finding Nesmith. He has assisted on 10 of Nesmith’s 60 made field goals. Only Tremont Waters has more (11), and that’s probably a combination of garbage time and Waters’ recent run of extra minutes.
Oddly, Nesmith's shooting remains cold as ice from the right side of the court. In April, Nesmith shot 9-22 from three, but that is on 7-10 from the right side to the top of the key and 2-12 from the left. For the season, he is 22-45 from the from the right side to the top of the key and only 12-44 from the left side, including an abysmal 4-21 from the left corner.

Anyway, it is mostly the hustle plays that have been drawing attention, but he's also making recent strides in spot-up shooting and catch-and-shoot plays off of screens.
 

BringBackMo

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
1,316
Nesmith's offense has already flashed far better than anything Romeo has shown in his 2 abbreviated years. I've been pleasantly surprised with his overall D as well (hustle, size, length, athleticism, rotations). Still sometimes looks like a rookie out there, but not a total liability.

In the Romeo/Nesmith comparison, is Romeo's defense really that much better? I am willing to say Romeo has the edge, but to me seems fairly close so far.

And if their D is even remotely close, Nesmith overall seems a lot more exciting to me.
I wonder whether, in the entire history of the world, anyone has disliked anything as much as you appear to dislike Romeo Langford as a basketball player.