NBA Draft 2020: How Aaron Nesmith fits with the New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Aaron Nesmith can be the perfect sharpshooting compliment to the team’s young core

Aaron Nesmith’s Strengths

When starting any conversation about Aaron Nesmith, the first topic of conversation has to be his shooting. Put on Nesmith’s tape and all you’ll say is “wow” when watching him shoot. He’s that good.

That stroke goes beyond the eye test though, check out the numbers and you’ll see that Nesmith shot an insane 52 percent from deep during his two-year career at Villanova. The best part about it is he gets his shots off in a variety of ways.

In some games, you’ll see Nesmith run off screens for catch-and-shoot looks but in other games when Nesmith’s confidence gets going, you’ll see him pull-up from anywhere on the floor. With how important shooting is in the modern NBA, Nesmith’s biggest strength makes him a desirable prospect.

Beyond his shooting stroke, Aaron Nesmith gives upside as a high IQ defender. At 6’6″ 213lbs he possesses the frame to defend guards and wings at the next level even though he’s not considered an athletic marvel.

Watching Nesmith’s tape you’ll see these defensive flashes repeatedly thanks to the man-to-man schemed installed by Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse. Often, Nesmith matched up with the opposing team’s shooting guard while at times switching to point guards and small forwards. His fundamentals are clean and he keeps himself engaged on defense.

The final strength that sticks out about Aaron Nesmith might not seem like a strength but it is for a team like the New Orleans Pelicans and that’s Nesmith understands his role. When watching Nesmith play, he consistently gets his points within the flow of the offense and knows his strengths and weaknesses as a player.

That skill is valuable for Nesmith because it’ll help him assimilate to the NBA better. He’ll know when to defer to veteran players and other stars and how to play his role to the best of his ability.