He is a Celtic abandoned player, with a salary of 11 million yuan to perform at the top 3D performance! The Pacers are so lucky to have him

NBA playoffs Eastern Conference Finals were really exciting, and the matchup between the Pacers and the Knicks attracted much attention from fans. After all, the strength in the Western Conference Finals is already one-sided. In the crucial G4 battle in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers played at home, winning the game 130-121, leading the Knicks 3-1 with one foot, and one foot has reached the threshold of the finals.

Speaking of Nesmith, his basketball journey is also quite bumpy. In 2020, Nesmith was selected by the Celtics in the 14th pick in the first round. I thought I could show my strength in Boston, but the Celtics are full of talents, and the double-Tanhua Tatum and Brown are at their peak. In the wing positions, players such as Fournier and Grant Williams are fiercely competitive, and the ball rights distribution is tight.

Rookie season, Nesmith averaged 14.5 minutes of playing time and shot 37% from three-pointers. During the critical period of the Celtics' championship, his growth space was severely compressed. In July 2022, the Celtic sent Nesmith to the Pacers in a deal involving multiple people, and he was more like a big deal in the deal.

After coming to the Pacers, everything was different. The Pacers in the reconstruction gave Nesmith plenty of playing time and trust, and he did not disappoint this expectation and gradually emerged. In October 2023, the Pacers renewed a 3-year contract worth $33 million, which is indeed a great quality contract now.

In this G4 match in the Eastern Conference Finals, Nesmith even played with injuries. You know, his ankle sprained before the game was touching, but this tough guy decided to go on the game with an injury before the game. He played for 32 minutes on the court and tried his best on the court. On the offensive end, he made 5 of 9 shots, 2 of 6 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, and scored 16 points. He also made no ambiguity in defense, contributing 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals, with a plus-negative value of up to +20, the highest in the game.

Looking back at these 4 games in the Eastern Conference Finals, Nesmith performed stably and outstandingly, with a very top 3D performance. He averaged 32.25 minutes per game, scored 16.5 points, 2.75 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.25 steals. He shot 51.8% from the field, 50.0% from three-point shooting percentage, and 93.8% from free throws. And when defending the opponent's core Brunson, the effect was significant, causing Brunson to make 10 turnovers in this round of the series.

Nestmith's annual salary this season is only $11 million. With his top 3D strength in the playoffs, such a salary is really a treasure compared to his field value.

In my opinion, Nesmith's performance is naturally because of his strong strength. Although he didn't have many opportunities when he was with the Celtics, his three-point shooting percentage was not high, and he didn't play as well. But when he arrived at the Pacers, he found a rhythm that suited him, and with his strong shooting ability, he had more room to shoot in the Pacers' tactical system and could fully display his long-range shooting skills. In this Eastern Conference Finals, the three-point shooting percentage was as high as 50.0%, and he turned into a sharpshooter.

Nestmith also has a positive defense and is willing to try his best to defend the opponent's core players. For example, his defense against Brunson made the opponent's mistakes. His attitude of giving his all-out on both sides of the offense and defense is exactly what the team needs, and it is what the top 3D in the small ball era should look like. This time he played with injuries, it was enough to show his importance to the game and his responsibility to the team. As he said himself, he didn't care about how he felt and had to play. This strength is so valuable. The Pacers' tactical arrangements helped Nesmith a lot. Coach Carlisle trusted him and gave him enough playing time so that he could play his strength on the court. The team also formulated some tactics around him, such as creating opportunities for him to catch and shoot on the offensive end, and allowing him to keep a guard against the opponent's key players during defense. With sufficient trust and tactical support, Nesmith's self-confidence has increased greatly, and his performance is naturally getting better and better.

There is also the contract factor. Nesmith has an annual salary of 11 million yuan. He must have wanted to prove that he is worth the price, and even wants to strive for a larger contract in the future through outstanding performance, so he worked extra hard in the competition. This also allowed the Pacers to get a big advantage, and with a not-so-high salary, he got a player who could play top 3D performance in the playoffs. If Nesmith continues to maintain this state, the Pacers have the opportunity to win the championship trophy again after many years with his help, and that would be a big profit.