NBA Draft 2020 Prospect Watch: Aaron Nesmith

Weaknesses

Certainly the biggest concern that Nesmith will have to address from the jump regards his fractured foot and overall medical history.

Considering this pre-draft process will be unlike anything previously dealt with due to the coronavirus outbreak, that’s not as easy of a thing to accomplish with the limited contact NBA teams will have meeting prospects face-to-face and carrying on as things would be normally.

Going back to his play on the court, Nesmith’s limited explosion and overall athleticism saps his potential as a finisher and paint penetrator, especially in traffic. Per Hoop-Math, Nesmith converted 55.8 percent of his attempts at the rim as a sophomore this year, down from the 61.9 percent he finished as a freshman.

Along with that, Nesmith is far from a creator or playmaker for others in any fashion at this stage in his development. That can be evidenced by the 0.77 assist-to-turnover ratio Nesmith finished with throughout his two seasons in Nashville.

And while Nesmith’s defensive abilities are strong in how he is able to function within a team’s defensive scheme, his fluidity and lack of explosive athleticism could be exploited in one-on-one situations at the next level, barring some turnaround in that regard.