There was a time in his rookie season that the game just moved far too fast for then-first-year Boston Celtics small forward Aaron Nesmith to keep up, so he made up for it by throwing his body about with reckless abandon while committing to the defensive end of the ball and making energy plays in place of finesse.
But with a full offseason and plenty of play last season to buoy him in the coming 2021-22 NBA season, the Vanderbilt product has shown the game has started to slow down — and that he has a deeper bag than we thought. Nesmith showed off an improved handle and expanded offensive arsenal on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic in the Celtics penultimate preseason exhibition tilt.
Putting up a game-high 23 points, 3 boards, 4 assists, and a steal on 8-of-16 shooting including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line, Nesmith is looking like he’s about to take a significant leap exactly when Boston needs him to.
Watch the highlights from the Magic loss in the clip embedded above, courtesy of YouTuber Tomasz Kordylewski.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
