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If you’re a fan of the Boston Celtics, you’ve likely enjoyed watching sophomore wing Aaron Nesmith jet around the court with reckless abandon.
The second-year wing’s energy on defense is infectious and makes for an entertaining watch at the best of times. Jumping into, over, or in front of offensive players, Nesmith plays with a level of hustle that’s adored by fans within the TD Garden and those watching at home.
Fans love a player who puts their body on the line, which is why Marcus Smart is such a focal point in Celtics fandom these days. The eagerness to fight for the jersey and play with passion is what draws fans to players who aren’t considered stars – just look at how quickly Chicago Bulls fans fell in love with Alex Caruso for further proof.
As it turns out, the Celtics players also enjoy Nesmith’s aggressive style of play and have given him a loving nickname as a result. When discussing his eye, which Nesmith had crashed into earlier in the game, Smart told the media, “Yeah, it’s fine, thanks to Aaron Nesmith…Crash.”
NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin asked Smart if that was a real nickname for Nesmith, to which Smart then replied, “yeah, it is, Bandicoot.”
Nesmith Had an Impressive Game Against Golden State
Boston missed multiple key rotation players during their December 17 game against the Golden State Warriors due to COVID health and safety protocols. With limited roster members available for the contest, Nesmith got an opportunity to impress the coaching staff off the bench.
In 22 minutes of games play, the Vanderbilt product gave the Celtics 11 points on 3-of-8 shooting, along with a rebound and a steal. But Nesmith got most of his work done on the defensive end, which will likely please head coach Ime Udoka.
Nesmith, who has struggled for playing time and impact this season, did flash potential as a future two-way wing during his rookie season. Billed as a sharpshooter coming out of college, the 6-foot-5 wing has shown more than just floor-spacing ability, and if he continues to defend as he did against the Warriors, he may find his minutes increasing as a result.
Nesmith Will Continue to Get Opportunities
The Celtics will play the New York Knicks on Saturday, December 18 and then have another three games in seven days. For the majority of those games, if not all of them, Boston’s rotations will be limited due to players residing within the league’s health and safety protocols.
As such, we should expect Nesmith, along with Romeo Langford and Payton Pritchard, to receive a boost in their minutes and their role on offense. Since the start of the season, many have called for the young players to be given an opportunity to shine, and now that opportunity has arisen, meaning it’s now down to how the players grasp it.
While the Warriors were at full strength and had not been affected by the COVID outbreak sweeping the league, the Celtics’ next three opponents are all struggling with their depth, making the contests a fairer fight for Boston. After their game against the Knicks on Saturday, the Celtics will face off against the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers. Finally, the Milwaukee Bucks – all of whom are dealing with some level of decreased availability within their rotations.
While fans may be upset at potentially watching games without their favorite players on the floor, this is the perfect moment for some younger players, or guys on the precipice of falling out of the league, to step up and earn a more significant role within the rotation once everybody is back healthy.
Until then, we’re going to see some scrappy basketball, but Celtics fans enjoy watching that style of play anyway.
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