Jerry Stackhouse, Aaron Nesmith’s College Coach, Likens Celtics Draftee To NBA Stars

By all accounts, Boston Celtics rookie Aaron Nesmith can shoot the lights out.

And his college coach, a former NBA All-Star, thinks the 14th overall pick can do just that at the highest level.

Boston was pleased that Nesmith, regarded as the best shooter in the draft, fell to them near the midway point of the first round. He figures to slot right in for the C’s, providing a shooting option off the bench.

Jerry Stackhouse, who coached Nesmith at Vanderbilt, indicated Thursday on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria” that Nesmith is up there with the likes of Ray Allen and, more recently, Khris Middleton.

“I don’t think they have anyone on the team that shoots as well as he does,” Stackhouse said, as transcribed by WEEI.com. “You’re talking about a guy who if he takes 100 shots he’s going to make 90 of them spot-up shots. I’ve seen him go 50-for-50, taking five spots, 10 shots. Allan Houston, Ray Allen type of jumpers. They are getting that type of shooter, but more.”

“I kind of liken him to Allan Houston right now. A guy who can come off screens, come off pin-downs,” Stackhouse later indicated. “I don’t know if he had the greatest handle but he could get to where he needed to get to to make great space for himself. Defensively, probably middle tier right now with the ability to obviously improve there. Another guy I like is his homeboy from Charleston, Khris Middleton. I think they have a lot of similarities. They both shoot the ball at a high clip. Khris has shown the ability to post up as well as pick-and-roll and I think over time Aaron will be able to do some of those same things and still shoot the ball at a really high clip.

“He really shoots the ball like a J.J. Redick type. I just don’t want to limit him to that. Once he gets space, once he gets his eyes on the rim, it’s gone. Just from a standpoint of shot-making. Does it look the same or have the same type of release as J.J. Redick? No. But from a standpoint of shot-making, that’s the way he shoots the ball.”

Of course, that’s no small praise. And if Nesmith can become that type of shooter in the NBA, it’s safe to say the Celtics will be plenty pleased.