Dante Exum’s healthy return
It’s unfortunate to say it, but the fact of the matter is that Dante Exum‘s career has been a disappointment thus far. On the bright side, his struggles haven’t exactly been his fault. Instead, he’s been plagued with injuries that have prevented him from playing as well as he would have liked.
In last season’s Summer League and preseason, Dante Exum looked about as healthy as he’d ever appeared and many believed he was primed for a breakout season. Unfortunately, the Basketball Gods frowned down upon him once again as he suffered a shoulder injury prior to the start of the regular season that would keep him out of action for most of the year.
Once he returned, the rust was evident as was his lack of conditioning and it took him quite a lot of time to adjust. However, once he got going in the series against the Houston Rockets, he was one of Utah’s stingiest perimeter defenders and he showed promise in other areas as well.
ESPN story on the promising Dante Exum agreeing to a three-year, $33M deal to stay with the Utah Jazz. https://t.co/cgkrJEkHnr
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2018
And while the shoulder injury plagued him throughout the year, Exum is fully healthy this summer, and as such, he should have ample time to work on his game and improve heading into next season. The Jazz have had high hopes for Exum for a while and, as long as he stays healthy, I truly believe that 2018-19 will be his big year.
If Exum even lives up to a fraction of the overwhelming potential he had when Utah selected him 5th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, he should be a leading candidate for the Most Improved Player Award in 2018-19. He’s largely disappointed up to this point in his career, but if he comes back strong this next year, catching casual fans and the media off guard, he could very well be one of the most surprising players of the season.
Jazz fans were treated to witnessing Donovan Mitchell be on Rookie of the Year watch all season long last year. If all goes well this summer and into next season, Dante Exum could be on Most Improved Player watch.
Whether it turns out that way or not, getting a full healthy offseason out of Exum and therefore presumably having him at full strength and shape for the 2018-19 is reason for absolute euphoria.