Aaron Nesmith Likely Starter for Celtics vs Knicks

The Celtics started Romeo Langford on Friday night with Al Horford, Grant Williams and Juancho Hernángomez down. COVID protocols took away any chance of Boston continuing to start a double big lineup, as they have all season.

“We got hit with our fours,” Udoka said pre-game. “Juancho, Jabari and Sam Hauser. Those last three that I mentioned would’ve gotten more opportunity with Al and Grant out, but tonight is a night where you can play a lot of small ball anyway, so Josh, Aaron, Romeo will get increased minutes there. Things we’ve done all year, tinkering with lineups and going small at times, it fits with Golden State tonight. Not to downplay to downplay the guys that are out, but it’s something we can easily adjust to.”

Langford went down for the game in the first half with a neck injury after Andrew Wiggins’ elbow collided with the back of his head following an up-fake. Aaron “Crash” Nesmith stepped up from the bottom of the Celtics’ rotation into a starting role beginning in the third quarter alongside Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. A comeback ensued, Boston going from down 14 at halftime to ahead late, with the Celtics playing some of their best two-way basketball all season. They lost to the Warriors, 111-107, but unlocked something by diving deeper into their rotation. They’ll get to try it again, with Langford and Boston’s six missing players from yesterday out again.

The style Nesmith allowed the Celtics to execute mattered more than his own performance, or the win or loss against a mostly-healthy championship contender. Boston leaned further into that wing-heavy lineup Saturday, signing 6’8″ wing Justin Jackson with the 10-day hardship exception, even as Horford, Williams and Hernángomez remain out and leave the front court thin. Two-way forward Brodric Thomas even played real minutes on Friday when Nesmith ran into foul trouble, before he entered COVID protocol Saturday. That’ll open up minutes for Jackson immediately.

Josh Richardson’s return had the largest impact in the third wing spot, as he continues to hit shots (4-for-7 from 3), but Nesmith played an important role in the fourth quarter alongside him after Marcus Smart picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter. Udoka likely sat Smart a moment too long with Boston down by five  points late, then Otto Porter and Curry hit shots that turned the Warriors’ advantage into an insurmountable 10 within one minute.

Nesmith struggled to knock down open jumpers and Wiggins targeted him earlier in the game, shooting 2-for-3 against Nesmith in 90 seconds. Going wing-heavy, on offense, helped the Celtics play fluidly and get downhill, while the defense switched comfortably across the perimeter into a dominant third quarter. The Warriors shot 4-for-19 in that frame, including 1-of-7 shooting from Steph Curry, who Nesmith drew a charge on in the lane.

Nesmith’s role in the second half wasn’t promised though, after committing three first-half fouls and struggling defensively. He approached an official after one of the calls, who simply shook his head in response. Nesmith wouldn’t foul again in the second half and Udoka let him roll for most of it with the starters. That’s not to say a role is guaranteed going forward, but Langford is questionable tonight against the Knicks and Nesmith would project to start for the first time this season in his absence.

The Celtics still need to see substantial improvement from Nesmith to make him part of the regular rotation beyond that. Boston found him wide open repeatedly during the game, and is now shooting 6-for-20 on open threes and 8-for-31 when he’s wide open. His release looked slow in the loss, and worse, he missed a point-blank look inside and one of three free throws following a gift foul from Draymond Green behind the line. Those points added up in a four-point game.

Nesmith, working around those struggles, flashed his ability to put the ball on the floor when his shot wasn’t falling. He finished the night 2-for-6 from deep, worse than a shooting specialist should finish, but on a team averaging around that efficiency this season any spacing helped. Brown and Tatum shot 17-for-35, comfortably reaching the rim and running out on the fast break with a spacing wing always playing next to them.

Tatum, who found Richardson on a beautiful bounce pass cutting underneath from near half court, down 107-100, to draw free throws that gave Boston a chance late. He displayed some of his most confident point forward play all season, dishing the ball to Brown 16 times and finished with six assists. Nesmith and other wings aided that movement and spacing with their presence alone. It’s spacing Horford, as he struggles from three, hasn’t commanded.

Only Robert Williams III and Enes Freedom played the five, Freedom struggling on the defensive end against the movement-heavy Warriors. His bench unit’s losing fourth quarter run proved decisive. Now, with the large Knicks in town, Udoka will continue to play three perimeter players alongside Smart and a five, and potentially find more success against a lackluster New York defense.

Julius Randle reverted to a shive on that end early this season, while the front court has been easy to attack. Kemba Walker potentially returns to the rotation with three Knicks guards in COVID protocol. The Celtics could’ve possibly used an extra big, but their initial move to supplement the roster through this wave of players in protocol was telling to the promise they see in playing this way more often.

The wings provided Udoka a style that looked more natural and fluid. Nesmith’s shooting. Richardson and Langford’s cutting.

The double big lineup has remained study defensively, but there may not be a more difficult opposing defense than Golden State’s. Boston finished 44% from the field, 36.6% from three and Tatum appeared more empowered as a playmaker than ever before.

Nine missed free throws, a bad foul by Smart before halftime and Udoka’s technical ultimately prevented a winning vindication for this style of lineup.

“(My eye) will be fine,” Smart quipped after colliding with the active sophomore. “Thanks to Aaron Nesmith. Crashy. He does what he does. Bandicoot.”