Utah Jazz ’17-18 review: Injury woes limit Dante Exum again

 Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum missed 68 games this season, dramatically cutting short what might have otherwise been an important evaluation year.

The 2017-18 season was bound to be an important one for young Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum. After already losing his entire second season due to a torn ACL and being stuck on the bench behind the likes of George Hill, Shelvin Mack and at times Raul Neto in the 2016-17 season, Dante really hadn’t had a chance to prove himself.

However, after Gordon Hayward and George Hill, Utah’s two leading scorers from the prior season, departed in free agency, it appeared that Exum would finally have a chance to shine for the Jazz. It would be important for him to do so, both for his own personal growth and prosperity as well as for the Jazz to be able to get a solid evaluation of him in the final year before he reached restricted free agency.

If the Jazz were going to extend a lucrative offer to Exum in free agency, they would need him to truly make strides and advance towards his potential in 2017-18. Unfortunately, before the season even got underway, that chance was completely lost.

In a preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, Dante Exum took a hit from T.J. Warren who was skying out of control for a rebound. The collision sent Dante falling to the ground where he landed directly on his shoulder. The incident resulted in a separated shoulder which would ultimately require surgery. Many feared it would be season-ending.

Although it was a long season for Exum as he watched his team from the bench for the majority of the year, fortunately he was able to make a return prior to the regular season’s end. After missing the first 68 games of the season, Exum returned on March 15th to play in each of Utah’s final 14 games.

While it was undoubtedly great to have him back in action, the bad thing was that after suffering the shoulder injury, all hopes of having a true chance to evaluate Dante were out the window. Between working himself back into shape, shaking off rust and simply getting back in the flow of the game post-injury, there really wasn’t enough of a sample size to be able to judge Exum’s worth.

There were definitely some alarming aspects of his game, such as his troubles taking care of the ball, his finishing at the rim and his three-point shooting (he shot just 27.8 percent from deep in the regular season). However, rather than focus on the concerning, how about we instead take a look at the good?

In his 14 regular season games, Exum was able to put up 8.1 points in just 16.8 minutes per game. Despite the aforementioned three-point issues, Exum did shoot 48.3 percent from the field, which is an excellent mark. On several occasions his athleticism and quick bursts of speed were on full display, reminding fans and the team alike just how much promise Dante has if he can stay healthy and put all his tools together.

In the postseason, his minutes and points went down, but his efficiency stayed right around the same mark, for better (from the field) or for worse (from deep). Exum had very little impact in the series against Oklahoma City, but actually had some superb moments in the series against Houston, particularly in his defense on James Harden.

In Utah’s Game 2 win, Exum held Harden to just two points in the 22 possessions that he guarded him. Although Exum struggled with point guard duties in Ricky Rubio‘s absence – he would often lose the ball or make errant passes – he certainly showed his promise on defense, a skill which initially won him a place in the Jazz starting lineup as a rookie.

Without a doubt, Exum’s Game 2 performance was a bright point of his career. Not only did he lock up Harden, but he finished with nine points of his own which included going 2-of-3 from deep. Sure, it was just one game, but Exum showed his mettle in that critical contest.

One can’t help but wonder that if Exum were to clean up his ball handling, get a little more confident on offense and continue to expand his enormous defensive potential, perhaps he could still blossom into something special. Ideally, into a player worthy of the fifth overall pick that the Utah Jazz used on him back in 2014.

Unfortunately, Dante Exum’s season began with injury and thus it ended as well. In the second half of Game 4 against the Houston Rockets, Exum suddenly clutched his hamstring in pain and as soon as the play was dead (after he got a three-point shot up ironically), he went jogging straight back into the locker room. He was later diagnosed with a hamstring strain and would miss Game 5.

It appears now that the injury isn’t anything too serious to be worried about, but it was still unfortunate to see Exum go out. And with his brief 2017-18 campaign coming to a conclusion, the Jazz are now faced with a tough decision regarding Exum. Do they bring him back or let him walk?

All signs indicate that they’re high on the young guard out of Australia and that they want to hold onto him. However, it just takes one team throwing a hefty offer sheet his way to throw a wrench in Utah’s plans. It would be risky for any team, Utah or otherwise, to pay Exum too much considering his spotty injury history and lack of concrete production. That may allow the Jazz to retain him without completely breaking the bank.

Then again, the potential he showed in the playoff series against Houston may have warmed some people towards him. If a big-time offer is thrown his way, the Jazz will have a difficult decision to make. Do they put their trust in his still sky-high potential, believing that he can yet develop into the star that they hope for him to be? Or do they take the safe route, use the money they would have spent on Exum elsewhere and allow him to test the waters on another team?

Next: How “advantage basketball” could impact Utah’s off-season plans

I, for one, am glad that I don’t have to make that tough decision. Of course, as I mentioned, the decision won’t be as hard if there aren’t any outrageous offers for him or if the Jazz are able to just lock him down right away, but time will tell how that plays out for Dante.

Regardless of what happens, though, it goes without saying that the free agency of Dante Exum will be one of the most intriguing Utah Jazz story lines to monitor this summer.