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Utah loves Dante Exum at 5

Elizah Huge

Respect All, Fear None
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Posted three hours ago on Twitter:

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Dante Exum is only the third player in the past eight years to be ranked in the top-5 of Chad Ford's big board the other two being Ricky Rubio and Jonas Valanciunas.

In ESPN's Tier 1, only guys who are projected to be sure-fire franchise players and all-stars make it, and they ask GM's and scouts to vote on the tiers. Davis, Griffin, LeBron, Rose, Wall, Durant, Oden, and Beasley are the only players to get voted in Tier 1 since 2003. Exum got a couple of votes for Tier 1 by GM's and scouts, but ended up in Tier 2 which is for players projected to be all-stars.

Obviously, some guys won't pan out (Oden, Beasley), but it was a consensus that these guys were going to be great.

*Just an fyi, Adam Zagoria covers the New York Knicks for NBA.com.

How would the rotation look?

Exum
Burks
Hayward
Kanter
Favors

w/ Trey as 6th man?
 
If Exum for sure can't play PG, does this make Burks expendable as a trade piece?
 
I like him at #5 also. Might need to trade up to #4 to get him though. But, with Orlado liking Smart, it's possible.
 
How would the rotation look?

Exum
Burks
Hayward
Kanter
Favors

w/ Trey as 6th man?

no one shorter than 6'6'' in the starting lineup... two guys who can get to rim with ease (exum, burks). I actually think Exum would be an upgrade at the PG, because i dont know that exum would even be a down-grade at 3pt shooting from trey. I actually see them shooting from outside fairly equal, with exum being superior defensively (Trey was god-awful) and penetrationally (again, like never penetrated, in a game that revolves around it).

That lineup would have little shooting intimidation (though i cant imagine the same lineup with burke being any different), unless kanter, alec, and gordon all trend upward from last year from the outside.
 
If he falls to 5, I discuss him and Gordon, but probably take him, because I'm certain I am getting a faster paced PG who can get to the rack, with defensive potential (albeit very raw). I then keep Trey until the trade deadline, bringing Exum along off the bench. After trading Trey, I start Exum, Burks, & Hayward, even f Exum isn't a real PG, that trio of guards all have enough playmaking and handles to get by.
 
Exum at 5 make sense because it will take him a couple of years before he becomes ready run a team and be ready defensively. He's only 18 and unless we're getting Jabari, we're going to have to be patient with our #5 pick. DL is going to have to make a tough decision if Exum and Vonleh are both available at 5.
 
I would be okay with an Exum pick. However, I must admit I am becoming an Aaron Gordon fanboy. I can seem him having a Shawn Marion type career.
 
no one shorter than 6'6'' in the starting lineup... two guys who can get to rim with ease (exum, burks). .

In NBA Exum will be killed before he gets to the rim. 188lbs skinny kid who was landing on his *** everytime he was driving vs inferior competition, just wait until he sees Pekovic in the paint, he will be living on perimeter more than driving in the paint.
 
In NBA Exum will be killed before he gets to the rim. 188lbs skinny kid who was landing on his *** everytime he was driving vs inferior competition, just wait until he sees Pekovic in the paint, he will be living on perimeter more than driving in the paint.

I think his weight has nothing to do with him getting to the rim.

he only weighs about 10 or so lbs less than alec burks, who got to rim at will last season. He's also the same weight as Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook (who no one would say have any trouble getting to rim), and only 5lbs less than damian lillard, etc. etc. etc.

It may affect his ability to finish with contact, but his actual ability to blow by his man (which i think we will see become common occurrence) and get into the paint will be there from day one.
 
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