Pacers players Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith remember past playoff battles with Milwaukee Bucks

Smith and Nesmith have seen the Bucks up close

Apr 7, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Bobby Portis (9) and Boston Celtics wing Aaron Nesmith (26) fight for the ball. / Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 as a franchise, but much of the roster been there before. Multiple players have reached the postseason with other franchises before, and their experience will be valuable for a younger Pacers squad.

Two of those players, Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith, have specific prior postseason experiences that could be valuable for Indiana this year. They battled the Milwaukee Bucks in a series recently — for Smith, it was during the NBA Finals in 2021 when he was with the Phoenix Suns. For Nesmith, it was the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2022 while he was a member of the Boston Celtics.

While a lot has changed for the Bucks, much is the same. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middlteon, Brook Lopez, Pat Connaughton, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Bobby Portis remain for the Milwaukee group that won an NBA Championship three years ago, and five of those players still get significant playing time for the team to this day. While other players, including some stars, have come in and changed the roster in a major way — and the Bucks have made two coaching changes, too — they do have a roster filled with continuity. And now, they'll face the Pacers in the first round.

"Yes and no," Smith said of what he remembers about the series he played against the Bucks. "I try to say no because I lost, so I try to forget it. But at the end of the day, I understand the game plan that we had."

Smith didn't play at all in that series. He was a rookie for the Suns, and Phoenix didn't want to rely on him in the postseason. But he was still a part of the preparation against Antetokounmpo and company. He has experience with a battle against Milwaukee.

"They've got a lot of shooters around Giannis now," Smith said of what is different about the Bucks in 2024 compared to 2021. They've added Malik Beasley and Damian Lillard, among others, who can bury outside shots.

Phoenix was up 2-0 in that series before losing four in a row to drop the best-of-seven. The Bucks got the best of Smith and the Suns. But in the following season, Nesmith and the Celtics got their shot at Milwaukee in the postseason and had different fortunes.

Boston had an intense, seven-game battle with the Bucks the year after Milwaukee's title run. Nesmith, who was in his second season at the time, was largely out of the rotation, but he did make an appearance in four games during that series.

"It's a different team, different coaching staff, different play style. It's a brand new series, brand new team," Nesmith said of playing the Bucks now compared to a few years ago. "We're going to look at it with a great opportunity." He had three points and four rebounds in the 2022 series while shooting 50% from the field.

The Celtics won the best-of-seven before reaching the NBA Finals. Nesmith, like Smith, learned a lot about playoff preparation from that run, and both young players are better now thanks to their past experiences.

Now, they are both in the Pacers playing rotation, so their involvement in the upcoming postseason will be much different. They both acknowledged that it does feel different to get ready for a playoff series in which playing time is clearly coming.

"I'm super excited, super pumped. It's going to be a lot of fun," Nesmith said of the upcoming set with the Bucks. He's preparing differently day-to-day now since he has a bigger role that he did with Boston. But he still learned a lot with the Celtics. "I'm familiar with the prep and how detail-oriented you have to be about everything," Nesmith said, noting that small things matter.

Smith shared similar sentiments on Wednesday. "I got the mental aspect and how crucial each game is," he shared of his experience with the Suns. Now, he's the Pacers backup center and will be a key reserve behind Myles Turner against Miwlaukee.

"Just being ready and being prepared mentally just to go out there and compete," Smith said.

Both players have similar career arcs in that they were traded to Indiana after being a deep reserve lottery pick in their first NBA stop. With the Pacers, Smith and Nesmith both took advantage of bigger opportunities and are key parts of the team's rotation. The blue and gold went through some development years that benefitted the pair, but now those two are ready for a postseason series as contributors.

Their prior experiences against the Bucks will be valuable. They've seen Milwaukee up close, and on the biggest stage. Their opponent has a different look and feel now, but so do Nesmith and Smith. They'll be ready for more responsibilities in this series.

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