Boston Celtics: 3 ways Aaron Nesmith can improve in 2021-22

Area of improvement for Aaron Nesmith No. 3) Work on avoiding foul trouble

Many draft experts predicted Nesmith to be the best immediate impact player outside of the top of the lottery.

His 3-point shot combined with his physical intangibles made him the ideal role player for the Boston Celtics who, at the time, were thought of as a contender for the 2021 title.

Those opinions aged poorly at the beginning of the NBA season, but those analysts were proven right as time went on.

Nesmith did not have excellent defensive IQ, and he did not have excellent defensive instincts, but he tried hard and understood how to use his physical traits to his advantage.

This learning curve worked just fine against other NBA role players, but NBA stars exploited the holes in his defense.

Nesmith was prone to jump at fouls and get caught in screens, which led to opposing star creators picking on him in pick-and-roll and jumping into him for an easy two foul shots.

If Nesmith wants to stay on the floor, he has to fix this.

I’m hoping Udoka tries to utilize Nesmith more off-ball than on-ball, given how deadly his wingspan can be if deployed at the rim.

Using him as a roamer to disrupt passing lanes and even deter shots at the rim would be better than gambling on Nesmith’s ability to stop Damian Lillard or Trae Young in isolation.

However, no matter how Udoka uses him, Nesmith will still find himself matched up in one-on-one situations against opposing star creators, and he has to be up to the task.