Aaron Nesmith "Art of Falling" appreciation thread

[Nomad]

Sometimes Seth Curry goes on a 3 rampage. Nothing you can do.

Amazingly, Nesmith, Pritch, Romeo, and the rest (who is this new guy) were commended by the always skeptical Boston announcers for making it a game again.

After Tatum and Brown allowed a 28-2 76ers run to happen.

Nesmith stood up to Embid on a dunk attempt and I believe got the charging call. Clocked some amazing mid range and close range shots. Fed to Pritchard for long range bombs. Also went free a couple times (See Art of Falling. Ch38).

(Not coincidentally?) I just completed my Nesmith rookie collection for the foreseeable future with a Flux Incoming Red 1/25. No more miracles needed.

[Nomad]

Entry 26 of this thread. And yeah... lucky.

To those who checked out the Celtics - Pelicans day game.... good cohesive team effort, with a not-foregone comeback sparked when Nesmith came off the bench with 3 minutes left in the third. He stayed in game rest of the way and had a contested dunk-plus-foul off a Tatum pass highlight of the game. May even make the official NBA highlights.

Also, about this time in a player's career, away broadcasters finally start pronouncing the last name right. Nee...

Some OG rookie collectors may appreciate this moment... going through collection and deciding which to keep and which to potentially trade/sell. Highlights of the keep pile so far include: Contenders Playoff auto 26/99, gold disco /10, Rookie Revolution, Christmas sweater Select RPA /199, Origins RPA booklet 8/10, Recon 1/1, Noir RPA /99, Pritchard/Nesmith Instant dual auto sticker /10 , NBA Hoops gold /10, green Prizm. Okay halfway through, the trade/sell pile is actually worth considerably more than the keep.

Just realized that by collecting Nesmith, I learned the entire Panini ecosystem and formed personal rankings, based on rarity and aesthetics. There are some nice cards and designs.

Liking Ime Udoka more and more... "When asked what changed in the 2nd half, Ime Udoka joked "Probably the time of day. Looked like we woke up at halftime."Aaron Nesmith got some run down the stretch for Boston, which has been a rarity this season. Udoka said "He really brought great energy and intensity. Even in the first half, he had good energy when we were searching. Then in the second half, his energy and intensity and effort helped change the game. That's why we went with him for so long."

That quote is just the tip of the iceberg of what coach said, ending with "Really rolling so we went with him in the fourth quarter." Or as the next questioner put it, "It's like... you have to learn on the fly. It's like learning to fly, while you're in the air, on the plane."

[Nomad]

Interesting thought. Following basketball, as a card collector and a fan, since the day I saw Tatum sparked by Nesmith energy to a 60-point comeback performance, I was waiting for a similar moment to occur. And it finally happened on a pretty important day in the calendar.

I also realize that, though not from Boston, in following the narrative of a young player I affordably invested in, I became immersed in a sport I always loved playing, though I was never good at. And I actually become a Celtics fan...

Sat back and watched the entire Celtics - Pelicans game again on League Pass. Never do that, but...

What made the Pelicans game interesting was the emergence (or confirmation, if you've been watching the past year) of the "free" Nesmith narrative. He is having a few poster dunks and blocks recently, but that doesn't even begin to encapsulate the energy contribution. With this game, it was like he and Tatum were starting to coordinate the floor, instead of him simply crashing. For the entire fourth quarter.

Also, beginning to like this team again. Jaylen is a steady contributor who leaves his ego at the door--important on a team with Tatum. And Schroeder is like the ready lay-up basket guy, anytime you need an Energizer bunny jolt. On the penetration-layup level, he reminds me of Ja, though obviously Morant has other skills and is younger.

Who is also intriguing is Pritchard. Pritch-Nesmith-Freedom-Romeo + either J seems an interesting secondary option that could yield playoff victories. Now that the Cs are over .500

Pelicans also have a couple interesting players, though I haven't watched enough.

[Nomad]

The last two months have been fertile grounds for rounding out the collection of late-issue Nesmith. Pretty sure he didn't make it into the 21-22 sets, which is nice (for my sanity). Made a kind of flag design of latest finds, with a little help from a friend (Pritchard.)

Last photo: in case you were worried about the ankle sprain, Nee seems to be weathering the storm on sidelines in style at least as the Celtics' juggernaut chugs on.

[Nomad]

Art of falling or sheer energy. I am on the fence. But let's go!

[Nomad]

A couple observations, in the thread that I think crash still deserves. The playoffs have been exactly as expected, except I thought Ime would give him a little more run in Game Four. Clearly he didn't need him, but he still kept the starters in for more time than was strictly necessary from an injury prevention standpoint. I am gratified to see Pitch get extended minutes and hit sick bombs, I almost think he is a starter next year. (only talking about the players I've invested in, still on the fence about Fitts and Hauser).

I did watch the whole game, including garbage time, and it was interesting to see the broadcasters make ref to the three blocks in Game One. What is up with Nesmith then, if Spo is cycling in his 9th and 10th guys off the bench? Is Ime keeping some players in reserve still, that confident? Even with Smart gone. Or still so underwhelmed by his shot.

Interesting that the entire crowd stayed in stands to the end because they were expecting something. And crash did give them a patented from-behind backboard swat-down.

Oh and a nice mail day on the road. Loving this moment, the tuxedo incoming 1/10 Pritch was $100, the Nesmith 1/10 Contenders Auto $60, the red Wiseman $55, the red Achiuwa $9.74, the '12 Qwasian $13 (first one I've seen in months), and the Nesmith fan-verified Grizz game auto about $30 (evolution of the signature has been interesting)

Go Celts! My other team the Mavs still in there, but barely hanging on. Easy to smile as a lifetime Warriors fan.

[Nomad]

I challenge the garden crowd to start up a chant of "free Nesmith" if the Celtics fall behind in the 3rd quarter by 5 points, on the verge of running out of gas. Oh and play Pritch.

Roll the dice.

[drobfan8]

This thread is worse than aids

[Nomad]

Aids isn't all that bad these days I hear. Fill me in on the best Yugioh boxes.

[Nomad]

To wrap up the season (from the fan and collecting standpoint), many people considered Aaron a disappointment in 2022. I never did, though I was disappointed with the ankle injury inflicted unintentionally by Timelord in February, minutes out the gate as a real starter.

Maybe Nesmith needs to refine his tendency to crash, I know he injured Grant Williams in practice on an attempted dunk, to the point where there was ice on his forehead. As Robert Williams put it when asked in the presser, "Grant tried to go up and Aaron said no." There was also the serious neck injury sustained by an emerging Kings player who tried to dunk against him. Nesmith did get the call on that, he was properly set, but there must have been some internal review in NBA to find a way to limit the physicality. They don't want NFL-length careers.

Maybe it is luck of the draw, being on the right team. But I saw Marcus pick up a lot of Nesmith's defensive traits from last year, and with his experience, channel it into being the ultimate hard working distributor. This led to better results than I expected. I was not surprised to see a few nods to Aaron in the playoffs, through Udoka mysteriously refused to play him. After his 5 minutes against the Heat in G1, with three highlight defensive plays, Nesmith came back the next day for 30 seconds at the end of the second and got Garden applause. Similarly they had him round out the finals defending Curry in Game 6 (though garbage time).

That is a pat on the back and it was interesting to see two Boston journalists ask if he would be playing Summer League. Nesmith may actually be bigger in Las Vegas than in Boston, and maybe that's why I don't count his season over quite yet. I would like to see him put together with some emerging talent, such as Hauser, Fitts, and Yam Madar, next month. Maybe Pritchard would even join a game or two, outside of his 92 point charity event work.

As for the cards, haven't risen in price, but haven't fallen to drastically. Probably just an outgrowth of being on the Celtics, but a lot more watchers on even not-so-key cards. So I am cautiously optimistic with my er... investment... and look forward to more Cs b-ball.

Also came to appreciate the team in my heart, the Warriors again. Being honest, I like this model better than the one with Durant.

[rifleman69]

Shut this thread down. G-League time.

[Nomad]

you can't really shut down a thread that is informative and on point. I think the art of falling theme still holds and happens I'm a writer.

[Nomad]

Summer League time anyway. Nesmith, I wasn't surprised, is volunteering for duty, instead of doing a G Williams and woodshedding all summer. Yeah, there are some injury risks, but he is out to assert street cred among the next crop. Really interested to see whether Hauser and JD Davidson can step up on Celtics.

Also interested to see the other picks. I remember last time it was Davion Mitchell and Cade Cunningham who impressed.

[Dolphinsfan1127]

Traded now. Pacers bound!

[rifleman69]

He's free at last!

[Nomad]

Pacers are not even the Cavaliers. That's good.

Interestingly, the prevalent question seems to be, how did you get Malcolm Brogden for only Nesmith and Theis? The answer is that the Pacers are now basically composed of the Celtics' back bench.

The question moving forward is whether the Pacers were making cap room for Ayton.

Anyway, Haliburton Duarte Nesmith has a nice sound to it. Pacers taking a flier. Look forward to following a new team next year!

[rifleman69]

Nesmith will have to learn how the Pacers want their court shined vs the parquet floor in Boston. As that's about all he's good for.

[Nomad]

Let's put differences aside and watch the Summer League with open minds. I assume he will be putting in some work with Bennedict Mathurin.

[rifleman69]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Let's put differences aside and watch the Summer League with open minds. I assume he will be putting in some work with Bennedict Mathurin.

There are no differences. We both agree he stinks.

[Nomad]

Okay our conversation is on different planes at least.

[rifleman69]

Originally Posted by Nomad

Okay our conversation is on different planes at least.

Yes, you're flying on Spirit Airlines.

[swerve]

What in the world did I actually just spend 2 minutes glancing through? Actually, that's rhetorical, I just remembered this is the same guy that spewed some drivel about card values tied to some rando ****...

[Nomad]

All I know is that two weeks ago no one would have imagined trading a player like Brogdon for Nesmith and players likely to get traded or cut. His value has gone up and I am sure Haliburton was involved in the discussion.

I am looking for Pacers to practice lights out defense in 2023.

[Nomad]

Offseason time filler, but I have been thinking through the full impact of the Nesmith - Brogdon trade. It boosted Aaron's potential a lot, because there never was going to be room on the Celtics, especially after making Finals, for him to develop as a starter. Fans would be clamoring for the type of imported veteran talent that the Celtics now can attract and have the green light to go after.

The trade was a gift from Brad, with probably Haliburton selecting him as a good match for a young team that will bank heavily on energy, as well as finesse. If they just play a good season, developing as a squad, and don't make it to playoffs, it will be considered a win by Indiana fans at this point. (and with Theis anchoring the bench, who knows?)

On the other hand, there is some hope that Aaron mastered the lessons that Smart, Brown, Tatum, Pritch, and Timelord dished on a nightly basis. Some suspect that the reason the deal went through is because Nesmith has performed at defensive All-NBA level in flashes.

One of maybe a dozen games where he was given minutes, Nesmith helped engineer a 32 point comeback. I just went back and watched the game (April 30th, 2021) against the Spurs, that got me following the Celtics and collecting a particular player. You can see the energy element as in Game 1 against the Heat with about 5 minutes left in the third.

From that pivotal point he makes every possible play to help his team and, once finding the rhythm as a playmaker, delivers on offense as well. Tatum doesn't score above 50 and the Celtics lose without the spark crash provided. I don't think that even Haliburton has had such a defining moment, though with empty stands it went relatively unremarked.

That was also a game that shows the sheer energy and team determination of the Celtics, long before they climbed the mountain. As it relates to the present, it is a reason why the trade was not as uneven as some have claimed.

[Pathora]

Pacers wanted cap space and the Celtics 2023 pick. All the players to the Pacers are just about throwins. Nesmith is going to have to earn minutes w/ Duarte, Mathurin, Buddy (if not traded), and other guys like Brissett and Washington.

This is like a Jalen Smith scenario for Indiana. If Nesmith turns out to be worth something great, if not they'll cut ties when contract is up.

And the only thing Theis is anchoring is the end of the bench. Dude is not playing unless its an emergency.