The ‘energy and intensity that he brought changed the game’ says Celtics coach Ime Udoka of Aaron Nesmith

Justin Quinn
·3 min read
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While his stat line does not show the level of energy he brought to bear in a much-needed Boston Celtics win against the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden Monday that looked like it was heading for a loss over the game’s first three quarters, second-year forward Aaron Nesmith put his stamp on the game as his high-octane style of play helped shift the game’s inertia.

It caught the eye of head coach Ime Udoka quickly, who left the Vanderbilt product in for just under 20 minutes in a season he’s averaged about half of that per game. Speaking to the press after the game, Udoka spoke about how the energy level of the team early in the game convinced him to give Nesmith more run.

“It was even in the first half I didn’t love our energy,” he explained.

“Defensively, we were solid overall, but offensively … the ball wasn’t moving as much,” he added.

“We weren’t getting downhill, and (Nesmith) brings energy and effort on every play on both ends of the floor. So, it was really his energy in the first half we were searching for with some of the guys that we brought in. And then the second half, he just really got going with that unit. He was guarding well, rebounding well, whether shots fall or not. The energy and intensity that he brought changed the game with that group, and so we rolled them longer.”

“He’s a guy who obviously hasn’t played as much, so you can play a little heavier stint there, and I think those guys finished it out great,” Udoka related.

To date, Nesmith has had the quandary of needing more time to get in the reps where his game would feel comfortable and unforced enough to play at the level he’s needed — but had been unable to get those reps because of his rookie-like play.

But between the flashes we saw at the end of last season and this most recent play is enough to give Udoka the impression that Nesmith deserves enough run to make a real case at cracking the rotation.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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