Celtics Taking Notice Of Ex-Boston First-Rounder’s Growth With Pacers

BOSTON -- The Celtics will host not only the Pacers, but also a familiar face in Indiana forward Aaron Nesmith during Wednesday night's matchup at TD Garden.

Nesmith began his NBA career with the Celtics after Boston drafted the Vanderbilt standout with the 14th overall selection in the 2020 NBA Draft. The potential was already in place for Nesmith, who stood out as an elite sharpshooter in college, shooting 52.2% from 3-point range for the Commodore's as a sophomore, but failed to translate quickly enough to avoid Boston's trade block.

The C's ultimately cut ties with Nesmith in order to pull off the Malcolm Brogdon trade in 2022, however, the breakup has proven to age well for the 24-year-old.

"His confidence is up there, and I think that's what it is," Celtics forward Oshae Brissett told reporters during practice hours before tip-off, per CLNS video. "I honestly didn't watch, didn't see him much when he was (with Boston), but seeing the player that he's become now, I'm super happy for him. I know that guy works his tail off, is always in the gym and seeing him get paid -- I texted him immediately, just shouting him out."

Brissett added: "To see where he is now, I'm proud of him, I'm happy for him for sure."

Playing behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, coupled with the inherited pressures of being thrown into a roster with championship expectations already in place, Nesmith couldn't find a fit. The usage was inconsistent, playing just 11 minutes in 52 games while getting 3.5 shots a night in Year 2 with Boston. Plus, even with now-proven potential working in Nesmith's favor, the Celtics weren't in a stage to exercise any patience.

Sticking with the process, Nesmith's patience, on the other hand, paid its dividends after just one season with the Pacers.

Having averaged 10.2 points with 3.9 rebounds while shooting 41.3% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc since departing the Celtics, the Pacers locked Nesmith to a three-year, $33 million contract extension before the start of their 2023-24 run. Soon after, Nesmith got right to work in living up to the payday.

In just the second game of the season, in a win over the Cavaliers, Nesmith scored a career-high 26 points with nine rebounds, draining five three-point attempts on a 62.5% shooting night against Cleveland.

Wednesday night's matchup will be Nesmith's fourth facing Boston.