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Apr 12, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) dribbles the ball during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 101-97. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Dante Exum returned for his second season after a torn ACL in 2016-17, bolstering an already-strong point guard position for the Utah Jazz. How did his year stack up?
The Utah Jazz thought they had gotten their point guard of the future in the summer of 2014, when they selected Dante Exum with the fifth pick in that year's draft.
Of course, this vision was dealt a blow last August, when he went down with an ACL tear that caused him to miss all of the 2015-16 season and left the Jazz without a floor general.
He began working his way back this year, occasionally being thrown into the rotation due to varying circumstances but mostly serving as the second, third or fourth string point guard.
Between injuries to George Hill and Exum himself, the Jazz didn't really have a set order of business at their lead guard position, which made it difficult for the rest of the team to adapt to each player's differing style.
In 2016-17, Exum averaged 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 42 percent shooting from the field. Of course, he played in just 18.6 minutes per contest, often seeing his playing time fluctuate from game to game.
His stats this year have to be taken with a grain of salt, as he had no real NBA skill base to fall back on. However, that doesn't mean the flashes he showed, both positive and negative, don't give us a greater understanding of the player he can and will be.
In order to recap the year that was for Exum, we'll look at the best and worst aspects of his game, including where he fits in to the Jazz's long-term plans.
Mar 11, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) drives to the basket in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Andre Roberson (21) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Strengths
As a relatively unknown overseas player with little competitive experience, the main point of attraction for Exum as a draft prospect was his physical profile. Standing 6'6″ in shoes with a wingspan three inches greater than his height, he has a built-in advantage over other, usually smaller, point guards.
He leverages this to penetrate the lane with the dribble and through off-ball cuts, shooting 55 percent at the rim, according to Basketball-Reference. Over 43 percent of his total field goal attempts come from within three feet of the hoop.
Exum isn't a creative nor crafty ball-handler, mostly relying on a burst of speed and his long strides to take advantage of brief openings in the defense. This would behoove him in transition, if not for the slow-paced nature of the Jazz offense.
However, even if his ideal play style isn't available within Utah's culture, he can still adapt some principles of attacking on the go without being stuck in a half-court set.
You can see below that many of his baskets come not in transition per se, but in motion, operating off single blow-by moves designed to keep defenders on their heels.
Exum is also used effectively on defense. He doesn't put up gaudy block or steal numbers just yet, but his long limbs and thick base allow him to contest shots and intrude into passing lanes when he's locked in.
Much of the focus on switched pick-and-rolls is on the big man, who will be tasked with staying in front of a smaller and quicker guard, but Exum projects nicely as the other end of that equation, being just big enough to hold his own on the block until help can come or another switch made.
Dec 10, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) tries to get around Sacramento Kings guard Darren Collison (7) after a turnover in the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
Weaknesses
The one thing that torpedoes Exum's potential the most is his lack of a reliable jump shot. He hit just 30 percent of his three-pointers this year, but still took 2.3 attempts per game, a large number for such an inaccurate shooter.
His mechanics are a bit awkward, and it looks as if he is pushing the ball out in front of him when he shoots. Exum's release also leaves a lot to be desired, as it could easily be blocked and is far too slow.
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You'd like to see him be more of a threat in the pick-and-roll; with his height, he could be an effective passer on skips and hammer action. However, until he develops a remedial jump shot off the dribble, this just won't happen.
Opponents made it a habit of going under any and every screen set for Exum, which effectively kills any half-court action set up by the Jazz. According to Synergy, he grades out in the 46th percentile as the pick and roll ball-handler.
Utah's offensive rating decreases by nearly six points when Exum is on the floor, largely due to this effect. Players such as Rudy Gobert, who are especially dependent on spacing and passes to set him up for scores, are hurt the most.
His assist-to-turnover ratio, which comes in at just over 1.4, isn't at all acceptable for a modern facilitator. Many of his gaffes in terms of losing the ball come from overextending himself, trying to force drives to the basket that aren't there or failing to recognize a defensive rotation and throwing the ball away.
His rawness manifests itself on the defensive end as well, as he'll often find himself lost against pin-down screens or in help defense. For a team that relies on their defense as much as the Jazz do, mistakes on that end will lead to a seat back on the bench in a hurry.
Nov 17, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jerian Grant (2) defends against Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) during the first quarter at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Moving Forward
Exum's rookie contract extends through next season, after which he'll be due a $6.6 million qualifying offer from the Jazz. Assuming he declines it, he'll enter restricted free agency, where Utah can match any offer he would receive from another team.
It's clearly in the Jazz's best interests to develop him as a future contributor, as they could control his services for up to the next six seasons should they wish to.
However, it will be difficult for Utah to evaluate Exum on such a short time frame. Most players drafted in his class, such as Marcus Smart, who was taken with the pick directly after Utah's in 2014, have become more prominent figures on their teams, while others have fizzled out.
It remains to be seen which group Exum will fall into, which is just the problem for the Jazz. Throwing a larger contract at him could be disastrous if he doesn't pan out, while letting him walk could mean giving up on a future star.
Heading into his age-22 season, it's time for him to start turning potential into production. He can do that first by improving his jump shot with work over the summer. It's important to remember he really hasn't had an offseason to develop as an NBA player, what with his injuries and international commitments in years prior.
After that, along with some time in the film room, the game should start to slow down for Exum. His services might not be needed in a larger capacity next year, but there's no doubt that his time will come.
We'll continue to recap the seasons of more of the Jazz's roster over the coming weeks.
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