The Indiana Pacers are 10 games above .500 for the first time this season and are reminding the basketball world just how good they are. After making their first conference finals appearance in a decade last year, the Pacers will have a good opportunity to replicate that success this year.
Naturally, the Pacers' success is largely due to their three best players. Tyrese Haliburton has been on a tear since the All-Star break, Pascal Siakam has continued his impressive All-Star campaign, and Myles Turner is proving that he is essential to the Pacers' success. However, as is often the case with championship contenders, it is the players below them that can make a big difference in a playoff series. These types of players are known as "X-factors," and it is already becoming perfectly clear who that will be for the Pacers this season.
Aaron Nesmith is becoming the Pacers' playoff X-factor
Since joining the Pacers in 2022 as part of the trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Boston Celtics, Aaron Nesmith has turned into a legitimate asset for the team. With the Pacers, he has become a solid 3-and-D player who provides a lot of energy on the court. However, after suffering an ankle injury in November that kept him sidelined for a couple of months, there was some doubt about his long-term role in Indiana, particularly as the starting small forward over Bennedict Mathurin, who played well in Nesmith's absence.
Recently, in a bit of a controversial move, head coach Rick Carlisle decided to place Nesmith back in the starting lineup and move Mathurin to the bench. This was mostly controversial given that Mathurin was playing well and the timing of the decision was strange. However, so far, it looks like Carlisle's lineup change is paying off.
Since re-entering the starting lineup, Nesmith has played some great basketball aside from his first game as a starter again when he only played 13 minutes in a loss to the New York Knicks. In his eight games since, however, he has looked fantastic, averaging 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists while shooting 53.1% from the field and 42.2% from the three-point line.
What makes Nesmith potentially more valuable in the starting lineup over Mathurin, however, is his defense. The Vanderbilt alum is the best wing defender on the Pacers and is a great complementary piece alongside the rest of the starting lineup.
As the Pacers inch closer to the playoffs, Nesmith's value is becoming even more apparent. He is a good fit in the starting lineup and played a big role in the team's conference finals appearance last season. Nesmith is far from the best player on the team, but there is no doubt that he is one of the most important players to their success, especially when it comes to the playoffs.