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The Indiana Pacers defeated Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks in a six-game series in the Eastern Conference finals. Brunson was the third straight All-Star that Aaron Nesmith had to guard in the playoffs. However, the Pacers are in for their biggest test yet against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander won his first MVP award this season and led the Thunder to 80 wins heading into the Finals. The league's leading scorer dominated in the regular season and playoffs as Oklahoma City navigated their way through the Western Conference. His offensive prowess earned praise from Nesmith ahead of Game 1 on Thursday night.
Nesmith talked to ClutchPoints Tomer Azarly at the NBA Finals' media day. He explained that Gilgeous-Alexander and Brunson are both excellent offensive players.
“They’re both great individual scorers and talented players. They know how to use their body to draw fouls, get into you, get their space, and get to the mid-range jumpers. So there are a lot of similarities between them.”
Aaron Nesmith on similarities between Shai… pic.twitter.com/NbnFOREURq
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 4, 2025
“They’re both great individual scorers and talented players,” Nesmith said. “They know how to use their body to draw fouls, get into you, get their space, and get to the mid-range jumpers. So there are a lot of similarities between them.”
Nesmith also touched on his approach to guarding his opponents, saying that he takes pride in being a tenacious defender.
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“I just think it’s a want factor. Taking pride in guarding your yard, watching film, getting better individually, and just sit down and be like, ‘they’re not gonna score on me…’ I think it’s a mindset. I’m not gonna be screened, I’m gonna fight through, and I’m gonna make his… pic.twitter.com/Bcjkc6MfUI
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 4, 2025
“I just think it’s a want factor,” Nesmith said. “Taking pride in guarding your yard, watching film, getting better individually, and just sit down and be like, ‘they’re not gonna score on me…’ I think it’s a mindset. I’m not gonna be screened, I’m gonna fight through, and I’m gonna make his life very hard for these 48 minutes.”
Rick Carlisle's defensive approach has worked wonders so far this postseason. However, he has not faced this version of the Thunder yet. In both of Oklahoma City's matchups against Indiana, Chet Holmgren was out with injury. Now that he is back, there is even more pressure on Nesmith and the Pacers' defense to stand strong.
One of the biggest stories heading into Game 1 of the NBA Finals is the condition of Nesmith's knee. The Pacers guard injured it in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals and was not the same for the rest of the series. Slowing Gilgeous-Alexander down demands a great effort from a team's perimeter defenders. Nesmith is a key piece to the puzzle for Carlisle and the Pacers.
While the Pacers are big underdogs in the championship round, they are as well prepared as anyone. Nesmith spent a series chasing Brunson around the court, and is likely to split time with Andrew Nembhard guarding the MVP of the league.
