http://saltcityhoops.com/salt-city-seven-030218/
So, by popular demand, let’s stop to imagine how the Jazz will reincorporate their former top-five pick and what other rotation adjustments that will require.
When the 6’6″ guard finally suits up for a game, the Jazz will get an infusion of raw talent. While it’s safe to say that Exum is still figuring out the NBA game, he undeniably possesses unique tools. Even as his development curve has been constantly interrupted by injuries, he has established himself as a plus defender with occasional bursts of offensive ability that harken back to his pre-draft profile. His jumper could still use some work, but his decision-making and floor game looked miles better, both in last July’s Summer League and in the preseason.
Look, anybody who purports to know exactly the impact Exum will have on this particular Jazz team is just guessing. Yes, Exum believers, he could immediately complement Donovan Mitchell’s growth as another zippy and daring ball-handler who can bottle up opposing guards on defense. And yes, Exum pessimists, he could come back completely tentative and spend the last month of the season feeling his way around the court with two hands and a flashlight. Both scenarios are fully in play, as are a million gradations in between.
But I know two gentlemen who sound like they are optimistic: Lindsey and Jazz coach Quin Snyder.
Lindsey has said in multiple interviews that Exum’s extended absence affected the Jazz’s plans nearly as much as Rudy Gobert’s. That’s partially a commentary on positional need and how Exum’s tools fit Utah’s preferred style of play, but it’s nevertheless a big compliment to the rehabbing youngster. And Snyder, in his weekly appearance on team radio, again effused praise, even if it came with a (fair) criticism of Exum’s intermittent focus last season.
“Dante’s a guy that I was pretty hard on. I’m not talking about screaming and yelling, but… we felt like there were times he didn’t recognize the opportunity to compete,” Snyder told 1280 the Zone as part of a broader discussion on how he decides when to be tough with guys. “
Dante’s such an intelligent guy that we tried to hold him to a high standard and felt like he could do that. Now, if I felt like he wasn’t capable of that, I don’t think I would have been as stingy on him in those situations.”
In other words, Snyder demands a lot from Exum because, as he has told us in the past, “
I believe in his insides.” So expect Snyder to find opportunities to unleash the 22-year-old’s talents and resume his developmental plan — even if that requires adjustments to the rotation.
