NBA Draft: Profiling the top 5 small forwards from the 2020 class

5. Aaron Nesmith – Vanderbilt

Nesmith had an impressive resume coming out of high school. In his senior year, He led Porter-Gaud High School to a 25-2 season, culminating with a third straight South Carolina Class 3A state title. Nesmith averaged 21 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He was also a three-time South Carolina 3A Player of the Year.

His season ended prematurely back on January 11, at the time he ranked fifth nationally averaging 23 points a game and played an average of 36 minutes a game when he went down with a stress fracture in his right foot.

Despite his injury and being limited to only 14 games last season, Nesmith is considered a first-round draft choice. He is an effective shooter, who is adept at running off a screen and setting himself into catch-and-shoot situations. He can beat slower defenders off the dribble. He has drawn comparisons to Orlando Magic forward Evan Fournier.

Nesmith has good athleticism, size, and instincts. If he can be a consistent shooter, he can be one of the great up and coming 3-and-D players in the league.