Author Topic: Dante Exum is Impressive  (Read 12315 times)

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Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2014, 02:45:51 PM »

Offline Rondo9

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****n coin flip.

I like Smart but even if he's a solid guy his ceiling is lower than the guys ahead of him. Wiggins, Gordon, and Exum are special athletes. Parker is a wing scorer, fast becoming a rarity in the league. And Embiid obviously is the rarest of all, a two-way big man.

What worries me about Smart is his first step just isn't at that top level. Things like shooting can be improved with practice, and people's  bodies can put on weight. However, you can't teach athleticism.

You also can't teach height, tenacity and leadership. Smart is big for a point guard, strong and gritty.

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #16 on: July 16, 2014, 02:54:16 PM »

Offline j804

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Don't remind me.  ::)
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Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #17 on: July 16, 2014, 02:57:34 PM »

Offline zerophase

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Exum will be an all-star player, but he grew up liking the Lakers and wants to live in LA. I give him to the end of his rookie contract before he bolts for the Lakers.

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Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #18 on: July 16, 2014, 02:59:22 PM »

Offline footey

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I watched Exum in his first summer league game, and in the game last night.  After the first game, I was really impressed with his athleticism, quickness, court vision.

After the game last night, I was much less impressed. It was like the other players already figured him out, and he was far less effective.  I have no idea what the box score may show, he might have turned in a great 4th quarter (which I missed). The point is this: I think it is way too early to say that Exum is going to be a better NBA player than Marcus Smart. 

What I think distinguishes Smart from any player in the draft is this: he can have a crappy offensive game, and still be a huge difference in the outcome.  His physicality is just unsurpassed. He is going to contribute much earlier than a lot of the other draft picks.  I'm not in love with him yet, but I really like him, so far.

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #19 on: July 16, 2014, 03:07:05 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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I could easily be wrong but after watching each of their games I haven't been quite as impressed.  He disappears for huge amounts of time and while he does have a nice first step I'm so sure his strength is a fixed problem.

7pts per 30 minutes played is not much to write home about....I would have taken Smart if I was Orlando and am glad we ended up with Marcus.
I don't blame you for not being impressed, but it seems like the Jazz aren't really making him a focus out there.  They have Burke playing PG and don't seem to be involving him much in the offense.  They seem more focused on getting the bigs involved... they have had far more shot attempts than Exum.  When he does get the ball, he seems to be pretty efficient, talented and smart.   I guess instead of giving him the keys to the summerleague team (like Boston did with Smart), they are going to ease him in gently.
He may still develop, but so may Smart. They're not the same type of player, and SL is geared much more towards showcasing the glashym, athletic, offensive-minded type (and that's Exum, not Smart).
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Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #20 on: July 16, 2014, 03:11:01 PM »

Offline Emmette Bryant

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I watched Exum in his first summer league game, and in the game last night.  After the first game, I was really impressed with his athleticism, quickness, court vision.

After the game last night, I was much less impressed. It was like the other players already figured him out, and he was far less effective.  I have no idea what the box score may show, he might have turned in a great 4th quarter (which I missed). The point is this: I think it is way too early to say that Exum is going to be a better NBA player than Marcus Smart. 

What I think distinguishes Smart from any player in the draft is this: he can have a crappy offensive game, and still be a huge difference in the outcome.  His physicality is just unsurpassed. He is going to contribute much earlier than a lot of the other draft picks.  I'm not in love with him yet, but I really like him, so far.

Well, Dante Exum has long arms (6'9.5 wingspan) so he's gotta be great.   ;)

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #21 on: July 16, 2014, 03:13:56 PM »

Offline BigAlTheFuture

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Exum will be an all-star player, but he grew up liking the Lakers and wants to live in LA. I give him to the end of his rookie contract before he bolts for the Lakers.

Just because he grew up a Laker fan doesn't mean he will sign with them. What if he embraces Utah and the organization? Jumping the gun a bit here.

Pierce was a die-hard Laker fan.
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Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #22 on: July 16, 2014, 03:18:45 PM »

Offline cb8883

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Seeing Exum play makes me mad that Ainge couldn't lost just one more game. Smart is a bust.

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #23 on: July 16, 2014, 03:30:48 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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I could easily be wrong but after watching each of their games I haven't been quite as impressed.  He disappears for huge amounts of time and while he does have a nice first step I'm so sure his strength is a fixed problem.

7pts per 30 minutes played is not much to write home about....I would have taken Smart if I was Orlando and am glad we ended up with Marcus.
I don't blame you for not being impressed, but it seems like the Jazz aren't really making him a focus out there.  They have Burke playing PG and don't seem to be involving him much in the offense.  They seem more focused on getting the bigs involved... they have had far more shot attempts than Exum.  When he does get the ball, he seems to be pretty efficient, talented and smart.   I guess instead of giving him the keys to the summerleague team (like Boston did with Smart), they are going to ease him in gently.
He may still develop, but so may Smart. They're not the same type of player, and SL is geared much more towards showcasing the glashym, athletic, offensive-minded type (and that's Exum, not Smart).
Utah can have patience with Exum... so they can ease him in.  People compare him to Kobe... Kobe averaged like 7 points in year 1.

Boston still probably will trade Smart... so giving him the keys to the Summer league team was part development/part showing Flip what we drafted. 

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #24 on: July 16, 2014, 03:41:45 PM »

Offline loco_91

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Agreed Exum is impressive, but I'm almost as impressed with Smart. Exum has somewhat more upside: I think he'll be a slightly better shooter with extremely good PG skills. My comp for him is Rondo with upside to be a better shooter, and better quickness.

Smart is in a different mold, as his calling is D. He has a very high floor, as he can fail to improve much on offense and still end up as a superior version of Avery Bradley. Offensively, he has his own type of upside as a lesser version of DWade, but he is a slightly lesser athlete.

I give the edge to Exum, but only very narrowly. He carries more uncertainty due to small sample sizes. He has a slightly higher ceiling IMO, but their median outcomes are very very close.

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #25 on: July 16, 2014, 03:42:11 PM »

Offline DraftSmart33

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Seeing Exum play makes me mad that Ainge couldn't lost just one more game. Smart is a bust.

You couldn't have possible watched Smart or Exum play.  Exum averaged 7 pts per 30 min in summer league and disappeared constantly, at times looking lost on the court.   Smart averaged 14-5-5-2.

Comment with support...or at least thought.

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #26 on: July 16, 2014, 03:45:01 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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Boston still probably will trade Smart... so giving him the keys to the Summer league team was part development/part showing Flip what we drafted.
The notion that we may trade for Kevin Love is hilarious. It was hilarious from Day 1, and it got even more hilarious after Love's little publicity stunt around Boston. I find it more likely that he'd stay in Minnesota on an obscenely rich deal than that he'd be traded to Boston...

... but I'm sure "showing Flip" was the motivation behind giving Smart the ball, and not the notion that giving the ball to guys you want to develop is the way to go in SL.
"I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #27 on: July 16, 2014, 03:52:41 PM »

Offline The One

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I think they'll both be really, really good.  But my pesos are on Smart...he's one tough hombre...I think he wins this matchup by a nose and I can't bet against him.


Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #28 on: July 16, 2014, 04:01:58 PM »

Offline LarBrd33

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Boston still probably will trade Smart... so giving him the keys to the Summer league team was part development/part showing Flip what we drafted.
The notion that we may trade for Kevin Love is hilarious. It was hilarious from Day 1, and it got even more hilarious after Love's little publicity stunt around Boston. I find it more likely that he'd stay in Minnesota on an obscenely rich deal than that he'd be traded to Boston...

... but I'm sure "showing Flip" was the motivation behind giving Smart the ball, and not the notion that giving the ball to guys you want to develop is the way to go in SL.

I agree with you. We aren't getting love. That sentence didn't come out how I thought it did. I meant to say that boston will still probably TRY to trade Smart in a package. I don't think they will, though.

Re: Dante Exum is Impressive
« Reply #29 on: July 16, 2014, 04:05:10 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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Boston still probably will trade Smart... so giving him the keys to the Summer league team was part development/part showing Flip what we drafted.
The notion that we may trade for Kevin Love is hilarious. It was hilarious from Day 1, and it got even more hilarious after Love's little publicity stunt around Boston. I find it more likely that he'd stay in Minnesota on an obscenely rich deal than that he'd be traded to Boston...

... but I'm sure "showing Flip" was the motivation behind giving Smart the ball, and not the notion that giving the ball to guys you want to develop is the way to go in SL.

I agree with you. We aren't getting love. That sentence didn't come out how I thought it did. I meant to say that boston will still probably TRY to trade Smart in a package. I don't think they will, though.
Oh, sure, I agree that we'll try to trade anyone and everyone for an impact player in the observable future. The problem, in my mind, is that available impact players are so few and far between that it's probably not going to happen.

So there's a fair chance that what you see is what you're going to be stuck for a while. Here's to hoping that some of it will pan out above expectations.
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