Why did the Jazz draft Exum??

[hawksdogsbraves]

I think even the biggest Exum fans knew there would be some severe growing pains, he's super young and had never played anything resembling NBA caliber competition.

[Xiao Yao You]

This is what I'm saying. He had a few games where he shot well for sure. Since then he's shot much worse. He's a horrendous FT shooter so I don't think that his jumper has gotten better at all. He will end up the season shooting under 40% for sure. So if you're expecting him to be a spot up shooter for them, it'll never happen. We're 11 games in or so and he's playing pretty much exactly how I imagined him playing. The first week of the season he had a couple nice games and has come back down to earth. It doesn't mean he's gonna suck but there is just no way he should be starting. I still don't see anything about his game that is as good as Smart or Payton. Not that they will be superstars but what I mean is that Smart will have a career just on his D alone and Payton can D and pass (although w Dipo back he's not gonna get heavy minutes I suspect) but with Exum I don't see him as having one thing that is better than other guys. We'll see but it's a long season and I don't expect much from him.

He just hit 3 3's in a row a couple games ago. Smart has played a couple years of college. Don't see the comparison. Burke shouldn't be starting either but on a team tanking he's their best option and best fit. He's a player. Rather he is a superstar or lives up to the 5th pick of this draft the kid can play.

[chocolatethunder]

He just hit 3 3's in a row a couple games ago. Smart has played a couple years of college. Don't see the comparison. Burke shouldn't be starting either but on a team tanking he's their best option and best fit. He's a player. Rather he is a superstar or lives up to the 5th pick of this draft the kid can play.

The comparison is that he was drafted ahead of Smart and Payton and is playing the same position so I think it's normal to compare players from the same draft who play the same position. We're not comparing centers to guards.They had also played against each other internationally. Also, before he was drafted there were guys in here bangin on about him coming from the Australian Institute of sport and how great that is. It's great that he made 3 threes but he's still a poor 3pt shooter and shooter overall. He will shoot under 40% for the season.

Don't be so sensitive about this guy. He was picked 5th in the draft so it's ok to have expectations of him. I find it comical that I'm not allowed to compare him to a player who plays the same position and is a whopping year older than him. Stop apologizing for him. Smart only started playing PG in college but you already knew that didn't you. I'll make sure I get in all the Marcus Smart threads and remind people to go easy on him because he's still learning to play and it's unfair to compare him to a guy who played PG in high school.

[Xiao Yao You]

You can say what you want. I'm happy with him. Best thing to happen to the Jazz in quite a while I think. Since Deron Williams at least I'd predict. Haven't seen the others play so I can't compare them.

[oarabbus]

Funny to see this thread on ISH after everyone was hyping him up prior to the season

I was calling him out since well before the season started. You know how everyone here likes to shit on Wilt and 60s players for matching up against 6 foot white guys?

That's ACTUALLY what Exum's competition was. Australian college players

He may be good some day but that time is not now, and I highly doubt he will be comparable to Parker and Wiggins.

[Bricklayer]

I agree with you chocolate thunder; I understand that you're not downplaying what Dante Exum COULD become -- you're only analyzing his current play and, frankly, I don't think he's playing anywhere near Trey Burke's level right now. Trey had a rough start to the year, so his percentages and PER are only 2 points higher than Exum's (10.0 PER), but I think by the end of the season, Trey should hover around 15, which is average for the league.

Dante does own a higher true shooting percentage than Trey, but we should remember that it's easier to have inflated percentages in smaller quantities of playing time. If Dante were asked to run the show for 30-35 minutes a game, his percentages would most likely go down as well.

Just from the eye test, I can tell Dante has a lot of growing up to do. He's not as aggressive as he should be given his physical advantages of speed and height over most point guards. He often makes the "safe" pass within the flow of the system, which is nice to see in a rookie, but he rarely splits the defense in half-court play (he'll attack the basket in transition, though). Trey, on the other hand, is constantly looking for seams to exploit by either driving or making the pass to a cutter for an easy 2. Thus, he's more efficient, but it's also a gamble and he'll have more turnovers.

That said, I think Dante could be an All-Star in about 4 years. Once he learns that he can blow by most defenders on the baseline for an easy layup or dish, he'll open up the rest of his game. He's already good at picking his spots and not rushing shots. He's also well above average in the pick and roll, and the screen and mid-range jumper will come in time. Trey's already got that down.

To answer the OP, the reason the Jazz drafted Dante is because they believed he was the best player available on the board. Yes, they had a PG in Trey Burke, but Snyder's system is not the traditional type where PGs walk it up the court and initiate the offense. On any given possession, it could be Trey, it could be Hayward or it could be Alec Burks who make the entry pass. That flexibility allows Trey and Dante to coexist quite easily. And yes, Dante was the 5th pick and has high expectations, but that doesn't mean he should get starter's minutes right off the bat. I love what the Jazz are doing to bring him along slowly - it's best for both him and the team right now. And I'm sure Dante knows that as well.

[chocolatethunder]

Also, bear in mind that Exum is putting up his numbers against second units.

[Xiao Yao You]

And the Jazz 2nd unit sucks. He'd benefit by playing with the Jazz starters.

[Relinquish]

But... Randle is a future all-star right? What happened to your guys' optimism?

I just find it funny how Laker fans don't want to root for their team because they are FINALLY bad, and it's only been 15 games. I've rooted my entire life for a shit team.

[Xiao Yao You]

http://www.sltrib.com/sports/1872020...-living?page=3

leads rooks in ass to TO

[UtahJazzFan88]

Might benefit both players to just have Exum start and bring Burke off the bench as a Sixth Man at this point. Our bench is ****ing terrible.

[bdreason]

But... Randle is a future all-star right? What happened to your guys' optimism?

I just find it funny how Laker fans don't want to root for their team because they are FINALLY bad, and it's only been 15 games. I've rooted my entire life for a shit team.

I'm from the Bay Area, but I've lived in SoCal for the past decade or so, and most of my friends are Lakers fans. Let me tell you, they're all delusional as hell. Smart basketball fans, but delusional. I guess I can't blame them, when their franchise has a history of success and making big moves. I remember when the Howard and Nash rumors were swirling about, and all I'm getting is texts from my friends talking about how they are going to land Nash and Howard and whoever else they wanted. Of course I was like ... then they landed Howard and Nash.


Lakers fans are spoiled, but also tend to be loyal and educated (in my experiences).

[Magic731]

Might benefit both players to just have Exum start and bring Burke off the bench as a Sixth Man at this point. Our bench is ****ing terrible.

This is what I think. Exum has already shown he's looking to make the smart, safe play rather than the risky one. He's almost too passive at this point. This would fit in well with the starters. Burke can then be the number 1 guy off the bench, chuck to his hearts content against second unit guys.