Did the Boston Celtics trade 2 former lottery picks too soon?

Aaron Nesmith is not missing the Boston Celtics

Nesmith was dealt to the Indiana Pacers over the summer, in a trade netting Boston Malcolm Brogdon. The former Rookie of the Year has fit into his bench role seamlessly with the Celtics. He’s Boston’s third leading scorer behind both Tatum and Brown, putting up about 14 points per game, while shooting a career-high 48% from beyond the arc.

Nesmith, like Langford, was traded to a team that would allow him more of an opportunity to develop. The Pacers are sitting at .500 with a record of 14-14. Their roster is made up mostly of young players, making for a great environment for Nesmith to thrive. He’s done alright through his first 24 games, averaging eight points about 40/36 shooting splits. In more recent games, he’s been looking more comfortable. The 23-year-old has poured in about 10 points on 46/42 shooting splits over his last seven appearances. It’ll be interesting to see if this is just a hot streak, or if Nesmith has found his footing after getting acclimated to the Pacers’ offense.

In summary, the Boston Celtics have done a great job of drafting over the last eight years, except for when they haven’t. Not every pick has panned out for the green. Sometimes the fit hasn’t been right or the potential just hasn’t been there. It wasn’t  easy for young players like Nesmith and Langford to get comfortable in the league when there wasn’t a lot of room for error. When they were drafted to a team like Boston, that’s in the mix for a championship, there wasn’t a ton of wiggle room for mistakes. Since moving on from the Cs they’ve been better. However, that doesn’t mean that the Celtics were wrong to ship them out. Sometimes the fit isn’t right, and that’s okay. I’m sure Boston is completely satisfied with Brogdon and White.