New Orleans Pelicans: Aaron Nesmith Could be Redick’s Replacement

Aaron Nesmith’s Weaknesses

Klay Thompson dropped to the 11th pick in the 2011 NBA draft because scouts said he lacked speed and athleticism.

They knew he could shoot, but didn’t feel he’d be able to get his own shot in the NBA or guard quicker shooting guards.

They were wrong. Big time.

The knocks against Nesmith are similar. He lacks elite athleticism and playmaking ability.

So did Thompson.

They say he might not be able to guard anyone in the NBA, which is what they said about Klay, who is now one of the best two-way players in the league.

Scouts may overlook Nesmith’s lack of explosiveness because of his 3-point shooting, but there are still some red flags.

Nesmith is coming off a serious foot injury and scouts will not get much of a chance to see if he has fully recovered.

The other problem is that Nesmith has put up his gaudy numbers against mostly bad teams, as his injury occurred before the start of Southeastern Conference play.

That’s too bad, as Nesmith would have had the chance to play against other NBA prospects like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Maxey.

Nesmith’s short 14-game season came against weaker competition, as is the case for most teams from power conferences who try to inflate their win total before conference play begins.

This is not Nesmith’s fault, but teams haven’t gotten to see him play much against other elite NBA prospects.

Nesmith did have some big games in the SEC as a freshman, putting up numbers against South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and Kentucky, but his biggest games were still against teams like Savannah State.

Nesmith’s injury, lack of elite athleticism and limited play against top competition might be enough to give teams pause, which means he should be available to the New Orleans Pelicans with the 12th or 13th pick.