NBA Notebook: Why the scouting report on Aaron Nesmith was so wrong coming out of Vandy

When the Boston Celtics drafted Aaron Nesmith last year, there was a sense that he could come in and make an impact as a rookie with his shot-making.

But instead of knocking down shots, Nesmith has been knocking down anyone in his path towards a loose ball – yes, Celtics teammates included.

It is a refreshing sight to see for a team that has played far too lethargic most of this season.

And it’s coming from a rookie whose hustle and all-out effort at both ends of the floor have been the strongest parts of his game, traits you didn’t hear talked much about by the Celtics after they drafted him or by scouts prior to the draft.

“So, I guess we kind of (expletive) this one up, right?” quipped an Eastern Conference scout. “No, seriously. I’m happy for him because it seems he has found a role with those guys now. It’s not the role we thought it would be or the role the Celtics thought it would be, but give him credit, he’s figured out a way to get on the floor which is huge for a rookie.”

Nesmith was considered the best shooter in the draft and has shown glimpses of being that guy. He’s connecting on 35.4 percent of his 3-pointers this season, although it has come in very limited minutes scattered across 38 games.

But it’s the little things such as diving for loose balls, rebounding from the wing position, and elevating the intensity level of his teammates, that has Nesmith in the Celtics’ regular rotation now.

A second Eastern Conference scout said one of the challenges in scouting Nesmith was the limited sample size of games he played (14) as a sophomore before declaring for the NBA draft after he suffered a season-ending foot injury.

“And the role he played as a freshman, he played more games (32) but you didn’t really see the high-energy, hustle plays from him then, either,” the second scout said. “But the one thing that most of us agreed on with Nesmith, is that he’s a smart kid. And smart kids at this level, figure out how to get on the floor, somehow. That’s what he’s doing now.”

Nesmith’s high-energy play has seemingly increased with more opportunities to play. Nesmith has averaged 15.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks in his last two games, while shooting 61.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.

While it’s unlikely Nesmith can maintain those stats for the duration of this season or into the playoffs, his impact on the floor even when he’s not scoring is reason enough for the Celtics to believe that they have found that much-needed spark from their bench in Nesmith … even if it’s coming in a way they didn’t expect.

ONE FOR THE AGES

When Jayson Tatum takes his place among the NBA’s all-time greats as a Hall of Famer in 10-15 years, Friday’s game against San Antonio will be among those looked back upon fondly.

Sure, him dropping 60 points to tie Larry Bird for the franchise record for points scored in a game is noteworthy for sure.

But he did it in a game in which the Celtics trailed by 32 points – 32 POINTS!!! – and managed to rally for the win which ranks among the biggest comebacks in NBA history.

“The best part was coming back and winning, and seeing everybody contribute,” Tatum said. “I know I’m young and I have a super-long way to go. But I’m determined to get there.”

PLAYOFF POSITIONING

With so many teams jockeying for the highest seed possible in the East, every win is a big one for a Celtics team looking to claim as many tie-breakers as they can.

They have already lost the head-to-head series with Atlanta. However, Boston holds the tie-breaker over Charlotte and Washington, and will have an opportunity in the coming days to secure the tie-breaker over New York and Miami, two teams that like Boston, are trying to avoid finishing outside of the top-6 and then be forced to be part of the play-in format.

SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE

The emergence of Aaron Nesmith has led to Brad Stevens reconfiguring his playing rotation. For Nesmith to play more, it means someone’s minutes will need to be cut or eliminated. Among those to see a dip in playing time, has been Grant Williams. This season, Williams is averaging 4.4 points in 18.1 minutes per game. In the last two games, Williams has played just under nine minutes total.

While his playing time may be trimmed, to Williams's credit, he’s making the most of the minutes he’s still receiving by scoring eight points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field.