Dependable Play
I love Dante Exum, however… Is he going to lose control and toss up a bad shot? Will he turn it over? Will he make enough poor plays that he gets pulled by Quin Snyder? Or will he play his incredible defense and finish at the rim? Unfortunately, that’s a problem with Exum. You don’t know what you’re going to get from him on a nightly basis. That will come with time and experience.
With Shelvin Mack, a seasoned veteran point guard, you do know what you’re going to get. A guy who will play within the offense, move the ball around, shoot when open and knock down his crafty knuckle-ball floater. That’s an under-rated attribute in basketball: being dependable every single night. This is something that has kept Mack in the league as a backup point guard.
Even starting point guard Ricky Rubio can get erratic with his play. One night, he’ll drop 20 or more points. The next, he won’t make a field goal. It’s a problem and it’s a frustrating one. To be fair, Rubio’s issue is more of an inconsistency thing, but it’s still worth noting. You don’t know if you’ll get the good Ricky Rubio or the bad Ricky Rubio.