After selecting Dante Exum with the 5th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, it seemed the Utah Jazz had their point guard for the future. Three years later, the same question is on everyone’s lips: what happened to Dante Exum?
After a sub par rookie season which saw Dante Exum average 4.8 points and 2.4 assists on 35 percent shooting for the Utah Jazz, everyone involved was hoping for a much better showing in his second year.
Exum skipped summer league to join the Australian national team on their European tour. Tragically, Exum would tear his ACL in his left knee, ruling him out of the 2015-16 season. The lack of production on Dante’s part in year one would have surely added insult to injury.
A year later, with George Hill at the helm, minutes were hard to come by. Exum appeared 66 times for Utah in 2016-17, starting 26 times. In 18.6 minutes, he put up 6.2 points and 1.7 assists per outing. He shot 42 percent from the field and 79 percent from the charity stripe.
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Now, behind Ricky Rubio, Exum has the chance to play with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. He’s a quick, versatile guard with explosive athleticism and terrific length. By being able to play the 1 and the 2 and occupying these traits, there’s no doubt that he has ideal “energy guy off the bench” ability.
Playing well behind Rubio will be crucial to the longevity of Exum’s career. It’s vital that he has a career year across the board and shows that he can be effective off the bench. If he doesn’t, many will begin to forget about the exciting prospect who was in Dante Exum.
Sixth Man of the Year or Most Improved Player honours may also come his way, which would reinstill the faith in the Utah Jazz organisation that Exum has a future in this league.
Ultimately, it’s all in the hands of the man himself. With Hayward and Hill out of the equation, minutes will be there. It’s what Exum does with those minutes that will determine whether his 5th overall selection was warranted, or if he’s just another statistic in the poorly regarded 2014 NBA Draft.
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At 22 years of age, time is on his side. However, another below average year from the Aussie could result in his departure from Salt Lake City.