The Boston Celtics are very familiar with the Indiana Pacers. They were the team that they beat in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago en route to winning the NBA championship.
This year, the Pacers were able to make the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years. They have a former Celtics player in their starting lineup, Aaron Nesmith.
Nesmith was traded to the Pacers in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon back in 2023. Since that trade, Nesmith has become a key member of the Pacers' lineup. Nesmith has given some credit to the Celtics for his development, too.
Joe Mazzulla was on staff when the Celtics still had Nesmith. He was an assistant coach under Ime Udoka when the Celtics decided to ship Nesmith to Indiana.
Nesmith had some good things to say about Mazzulla, giving him some credit for his development as a player and a key member of a team that made the NBA Finals.
Mike Breen recounted this as he talked about the NBA Finals matchup between the Pacers and the Thunder.
“[Nesmith] said somebody who made a huge impact on him was Joe Mazzulla,” Breen said.
“He said the guy was with me every day, he pushed me and pushed me. He made such a huge impact on him.”
The Celtics clearly didn't see enough in Nesmith to keep him on the roster, but Mazzulla clearly had a strong impact on Nesmith's mental development as a starter.
Nesmith is hoping that he can help the Pacers win their first NBA title in franchise history. He is one of the guys that they need to step up in the next few games.
Boston Celtics fans have to be happy that he is thriving, even if they wish that he were still with the Celtics. Brogdon won Sixth Man of the Year, so it's hard to say the trade was too much of a loss.
So far this postseason, Nesmith is averaging 13.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He is shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 49.1 percent from three.
