OKLAHOMA CITY — Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton revealed he can't think of another guy he'd want on his team more than Aaron Nesmith. After Nesmith's dad reflected on his son's NBA journey, Haliburton looked back on his past two seasons playing alongside Aaron. Tyrese admits that while he didn't know a lot about his new teammate following the Pacers' Malcolm Brogdon trade with the Boston Celtics in 2022, he soon found out.

During Haliburton's media availability before Game 5, he addressed Nesmith's growth into becoming a member of the Pacers' starting lineup.

“When we traded for Double-A, I didn't know a ton about him,” Haliburton said. “We were in the same draft class and was always mentioned as two of the top shooters in our class. So, I knew that, but I didn't really know anything about him to be honest. Then, the more I've gotten to know him, there's not another guy out there that I'd rather go to war with, to be honest with you. I know that he's going to give 110 percent at all times.”

For Haliburton, it's Nesmith's work ethic and determination that stand out most.

“He works his tail off to get to where he is,” Haliburton added. “I've said it many times, but every NBA team wants to have a guy like Aaron Nesmith. His effort is unbelievable. His energy. His attitude, all of those things. I know he's going to show up every day and be the same guy. I think that's what I appreciate about him the most.”

Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers enter Game 5 of the NBA Finals with a golden opportunity to take a 3-2 lead before heading back home for Game 6.

How Aaron Nesmith impressed Rick Carlisle, Pacers

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Before Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith drained eight threes amidst his career night against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he made a lasting first impression on Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. Shortly after the trade, Nesmith reached out to Carlisle about wanting to join the team's summer league squad.

“He wanted to jump in, and it was important for him to be a part of something,” Carlisle told ClutchPoints. “I thought his effort to do that was exceptional, and from there, he went from a guy who was a player off the bench to eventually earning a starting position. Now, he's become one of our really important guys on both sides of the ball. I'm proud of him. He's the kind of guy that any team would want.”

Tyrese Haliburton drained the biggest shot in Game 1 against the Knicks, but it was Nesmith scoring 20 of his career-high 30 points in the fourth quarter that set the stage.