NBA Draft 2014 Pick 5: Dante Exum, Utah Jazz

Dante Exum, the international man of mystery, and the 5^th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Utah Jazz fans lit up Energy Solutions Arena with loud cries of excitement as they learned that Aaron Gordon was headed to the Magic, and that the young Aussie was headed his way from down under to Salt Lake City. With the cards falling exactly as the Jazz front office would have them, the number 5 pick didn’t seem all too bad with #3 player on their draft big board landing in their laps.

Exum definitely lives up to his nickname with only hours of limited video on YouTube and other various sites. However; upon observation of only a few basketball games mixed with a few practices and the NBA Summer League games, I believe that he could potentially be one of the best players of this draft. My initial impression of Dante is his quickness. He has a lightning fast first step, and leaves his defenders a step behind. He can bring it in for the layup, and pass it out to an open man. He is unselfish with a high basketball IQ, and a team player. His defense is also impressive, he gets into the open lane and causes problems for smaller guards.

A product from the Australian Institute of Sport, Exum played on the Australia Men’s Junior and Senior National teams at the FIBA world championships where he averaged 17.8 points a game with 3.2 assists. His games with Australia have shown us that he can score and has the ability to make plays for his teammates. He also impressed us at the Nike Hoop Summit, where in 22 minutes of play he had 16 points, 2 assists and 2 steals. The mystery surrounding Exum is becoming clearer as he has just started playing professional basketball in the NBA Summer League. Even after one game, the talking heads of major sport’s networks are taking interest in Exum’s ability to compete at an NBA level.

It's just summer league, but just saw an amazing steal followed by a baseline two-hand dunk by Jazz rookie Dante Exum.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 13, 2014

Watched Jazz-76ers game tonight @NBASummerLeague. Jazz will be ecstatic with some of things Dante Exum did tonight.
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) July 13, 2014

I've watched Dante Exum play like six minutes of summer league and I've already decided he's going to be amazing.
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) July 13, 2014

.@ChrisMannixSI on @1280sports: "I really believe that Dante Exum could end up being the best player from this draft class."
— Spencer Checketts (@1280Spence) July 14, 2014

Only so much can be determined after a few games of watching him play, but he has certainly drawn respect from his critics. His ceiling has been compared to the likes of Kobe Bryant and Penny Hardaway. He certainly has the potential to reach that caliber of play, but it will take time and hard work. He’ll have his mistakes as a rookie, and has already had a few in the Summer League. He needs to work on his shot, and his overall stamina. I don’t believe this will be a problem though because he has a great work ethic, and a determination that’s hard to find in this league.

I think he’s a great fit for the Utah Jazz, and I believe his game will continue to translate well into the NBA. He’s projected to play along-side Trey Burke at the shooting guard position, but it’s still a mystery as to where his involvement will be under the new Jazz head coach Quin Snyder. I think this line-up could work, but there is a one Alec Burks who is more ready to play right now along-side Burke for the Jazz. Right now I expect Exum to come off the bench early this season for either guard, and I think it will be a good opportunity for him to grow. The Jazz bench he’s surrounded with won’t be stellar by any means this year, but it will sure be exciting to see him play with the young talent that the Utah Jazz have acquired in Rodney Hood and Rudy Gobert. 

Ultimately I believe that he will take over at the point guard position. Once he starts to really grow I won’t be one bit surprised when the reigns of this very young team are handed over to Exum. Whether he plays alongside Burke or Burks, he’ll be the starting point guard. If there’s anything I’ve learned about him it’s this: His play, is a point guard play. He’s a leader on the floor. He manages the game very well. He has the ability to take over the game at any moment, and he’s more concerned about giving his team the best opportunity to score rather than taking the credit for himself.

The Utah Jazz could be a very scary team to play in a few years if all cylinders click at the right time, and Dante Exum will need to be the driving force behind it all. I believe he can make Gordon Hayward live up to his max contract. I think he can help Derrick Favors become a great big in this league. His defense along-side this young core will create tough match-ups for other NBA teams to deal with. The Jazz have been missing a point guard who can add more potential to his teammates, and Exum is the guy who can fill that void. I think Utah Jazz fans can look forward to his development into a potential NBA all-star, and I believe he will be the face of the Utah franchise. With his young Aussie charm and humility, it’s hard to not to like him and what he will bring to the table.