Add Nesmith to the ex-Celtics Roll Call Exacting Revenge on Their Former Team

Aaron Nesmith has more playing time now, can play through mistakes and got an added bonus on Wednesday - a win over his former team

You never really know what to expect when a former player returns to face his former team for the first time.

The reception Aaron Nesmith received from the TD Garden crowd when introduced as a starter for the Indiana Pacers was on the meh side.

It was in many ways, akin to his time as a member of the Boston Celtics. 

The first two minutes of the game were vintage Nesmith, picking up a quick personal foul followed by a basket moments later. 

One moment of brilliance, another one blundered away.

This is the legacy left by Nesmith in the minds of most Celtics fans. 

But a new team has given him a new lease on his basketball life, providing him with an opportunity to write a new chapter in his basketball journey.

And to his credit, he is doing his part by doing the one thing he was never allowed to do much of in Boston - play through his mistakes. 

Those mistakes were at a minimum on Wednesday, as Indiana took control early before holding on for a 117-112 win over the Celtics.

Boston has now lost five of its last six games while the Pacers continue to be one of the NBA’s feel-good stories of the still-young NBA season.

In an exclusive interview, Nesmith discussed how playing time more than anything else, is why he has improved so much since his time in Boston. 

“It’s fun being able to grow, and make winning plays,” said Nesmith who finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. 

While Nesmith wasn’t taking a ton of shots early on, his presence was instrumental in the Pacers jumping out to a commanding first-half lead that peaked at 29 points. 

Jaylen Brown, who had 19 points in the loss, was among the Celtics Nesmith worked out with often during his two seasons in Boston. 

Prior to the game, Brown talked about how pleased he was with Nesmith getting an opportunity to showcase many of the skills Brown and his teammates often saw in practice. 

“Sometimes guys don’t get the opportunity here because we got a lot of (good) players,” Brown said. “That doesn’t mean you can’t go somewhere else and make an impact. You see Aaron, he’s making contributions in that Indiana locker room.”

 Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle is among those who have consistently praised Nesmith’s play which has been among the factors contributing to Indiana’s better-than-expected start to this season. 

"We just love Aaron’s competitiveness, his joy to compete, his overall positivity all the time,” Carlisle told reporters prior to Wednesday’s game. “And that’s not to mention his skill."

One of Nesmith’s best traits is his hustle which was on full display in the first half which ended with Indiana ahead 71-43.

The Pacers’ last basket of the second quarter was sparked by a Nesmith hustle play when he tracked down a loose ball and passed to Tyrese Haliburton who converted a conventional 3-point play after being fouled by Al Horford with 4.2 seconds to play in the half. 

Seeing where Nesmith is now is a tribute to his perseverance and ability to become mentally tougher through the experience of getting traded. 

Nesmith acknowledged his confidence took a major blow when he got the call from Brad Stevens that he was being traded. 

But in beginning his next basketball chapter in Indiana, Nesmith said he leaned on some of the lessons learned while a Celtic. 

“You have to figure out how to impact the game by doing the little things,” Nesmith said. “That’s something I learned how to do here (in Boston), carry that forward in Indy. I’m doing a good job of that. That’s something I’m grateful for, that I learned in my time here.”

And it is a lesson that he is administering to his former team, with Nesmith getting to do the only two things that matter to him now: play more and impact winning in a positive manner.